Dr. Johnson shows off her Red Jacket

Less than a month after BCE, City Year, and Proctor & Gamble transformed the Marshall’s gym, cafeteria, and peace garden, we were excited to return to the school to lead Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and the Celtics. Once again, BCE and a group of excited volunteers were able to “strike back” at the idea that Dorchester is a forgotten and ignored neighborhood of Boston.  The Boston Civic Engagement team spent close to a week preparing for this 170 person service day, pulling weeds out of the cracks in the basketball court and filling them with cement, tracing over 10 murals to cover the outer walls of the school, and cutting wood for benches, tables, and planter beds.

When the day arrived, BCE and the City Year Recruitment Department greeted the Celtics employees, season ticket holders, and employees from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care(HPHC).  We also had the opportunity to welcome BPS Superintendent Dr. Carol Johnson and close to 200 students. The morning was started off with speeches from Superintendent Johnson, the Marshall’s principal Teresa Harvey-Jackson, the Celtics, HPHC, and City Year Boston.

But before the volunteers and City Year jumped into the physical service, the volunteers delivered backpacks donated by Cradles to Crayons to classrooms and stayed to help the students decorate them.  Once all of the backpacks were personalized, the volunteers said goodbye to the students and headed to their sites to begin the physical transformation of the Marshall.

The newly painted Basketball court and Sprint track

To close out the day, the volunteers heard from Wyc Grousbeck, Celtics Co-owner and CEO, and Thomas M. Menino, Mayor of Boston. They talked about the importance of what the volunteers did that day and how it will really make a difference in this community. To list off the days accomplishments: The volunteers continued the work already done in the peace garden with new murals and new mulch, painting murals along the road, the entrance to the peace garden, around the playgrounds. They also built benches, repainted the neglected basketball court, and added a map of the US, a sprint track, and 4 square courts.  This day will be remembered as one of the best service days at City Year Boston and the start to a partnership between City Year, HPHC, and the Celtics that will continue to create positive change in Boston.