DORCHESTER, Mass. – The Boston Celtics and Boston Cares joined Sun Life Financial for their annual Community Care Day earlier this month.
Joined by Celtics rookie Jared Sullinger and Legend Walter McCarty, the nearly 100 volunteers worked to enhance the quality of life for the families living in the Victory Programs’ ReVision Family Home. The two homes provide safe shelter for 22 families, including homeless women and their families, and expectant mothers.
The volunteers threw on ponchos and got their hands dirty with projects that included landscaping and gardening, in addition to decorating and refurbishing the interior of the homes. McCarty and Sullinger jumped right in to help, easily painting the hard-to-each spots at the top of the walls.
Sullinger joked, “I should be a painter in the offseason. I’m great at it and much better than Walt!”
The duo walked from room to room, helping with the various projects and giving the volunteers a break with hugs and pictures.
Children in the makeshift daycare center woke up to the Celtics giving them high fives. A two-year-old jumped right into Sullinger’s arms and smiled from ear to ear while her mother took pictures of them. Following the conclusion of the event, the children had a new daycare and play center equipped with a kitchen area, bathroom and two different play areas.
McCarty and Sullinger went on to brave the afternoon’s rain and helped the outside crew with a little gardening in the green house across the street. They listened while Jonathan Scott, CEO of Victory Programs, explained that his group’s mission is to provide safe and stable housing to its struggling clients. Many of those clients are homeless with substance use disorders or health issues ranging, from HIV/Aids to mental illness. Scott showed everyone around while telling them about their Revision Urban Farm project that provides the families with nutritious and affordable food.
Sullinger spoke of how close to his heart projects like this are.
“I grew up in an unhealthy neighborhood, so I have seen the way these people live,” said Sullinger. “I think it is important to remember where you came from and give back. I live for stuff like this. The volunteers were so excited to see us, but I think I was more excited to see them giving back and helping this program provide safe homes for the families.”
Sullinger and McCarty ended their time at the project by taking pictures and giving autographs to the soaked and exhausted volunteers. This was a long and rainy day, but the volunteers and the Celtics came together to support those in need.
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