On April 12, Tocci participated in a Community Connect event to benefit the Massachusetts Hospital School located in Canton, MA.

Volunteers joined other Greater Boston real estate, design, and construction professionals to assist AAREP, CoreNET Global, NAIOP, and NEWiRE in this heart-warming community service program.

The afternoon of volunteering was designed to help the school,  founded in 1907 to provide educational opportunities to children and young adults with congenital or acquired physically debilitating disorders, prepare for spring.

Activities included windows, grounds, and barn clean-up; participation in sports activities and training; and planting preparation. For more information on the school and ways you can volunteer or donate, go to the Massachusetts Hospital School Foundation website.

Amy Thompson-West shares her thoughts on the event:

On April 12th I joined forces with  60+ volunteers from Greater Boston real estate, design, and construction firms to assist AAREP, CoreNET Global, NAIOP, and NEWiRE in making their annual volunteer day, “Community Connect”, a success. This year’s program benefitted the Massachusetts Hospital School which was founded in 1907 to provide educational opportunities to children and young adults with congenital or acquired physically debilitating disorders. The varied round of activities planned for us included working with staff and students on windows, grounds, and barn clean-up or participation in spring-related recreation or arts and crafts programs.

I elected to join the arts and crafts class where student Caitlin and I buddied up to repurpose a tin can into a fanciful spring planter. And, you guessed it, plenty of pipe cleaners were on hand to nudge our creativity —along with shimmery sequins, bright flowers, and colorful ribbons. You won’t believe this, but I used a hot glue gun for the first time too! You do learn something new every day.

Most importantly, last Thursday, I gained insight into a world where learning isn’t easy or taken for granted; where each new word or skill grasped is a very, very hard-won victory. And, I came to admire the school’s teachers who so deftly tease smiles of joy from the faces of children who might otherwise never know the delight of accomplishment.