Rebuilding Together Boston Teams Up with Marcus Partners to Make Catholic Charities Inn Feel Like Home

On a recent Friday at the Catholic Charities Inn, residents Celestin and LaLouse led their three-year-old daughter Rebecca by the hand, down the second-floor hall that the family has been living on since July.

Halfway down the hall, the family encountered a group of volunteers from Marcus Partners and Rebuilding Together Boston, who had just finished transforming an unused room at the shelter into a new and renovated playroom for young residents.

When Rebecca peered into the playroom and saw the brand-new oversized doll house, the colorful polka-dot-walls, and the bins of donated toys and books, her eyes lit up with joy.

Witnessing her reaction, the parents, who travelled by foot with Rebecca through the rainforest to get to Boston, couldn’t help but smile. “We are very happy for her,” said Celestine.

It is these moments that most motivate Rebuilding Together Boston (RTB) Executive Director, Janice Walker, every day. Partnering with skilled workers, tradespeople, volunteers, and other community members, like Marcus Partners, a Boston-based real estate private equity firm, RTB seeks to improve homes and nonprofit facilities in the community.

“Our mission is repairing homes, revitalizing communities and rebuilding lives,” said Janice. “But what we are really trying to do is make a tangible difference for these families. We want to help make them feel at home.”

CCI Housing Case Manager said she believes playroom will make an enormous difference for both the children living at the shelter and the parents.

“Having a safe place to play creates an environment where the children learn how to socialize, and that’s really important for their overall wellbeing and mental health. It is important to have time to say, ‘Okay, let’s get out of the room now. It’s time to play and have fun.’ That’s a beautiful memory to be able to give kids during a very difficult time” said Kathia.

Head of Construction at Marcus Partners and Vice Chair of the Rebuilding Together Boston’s board, Josh Berman, said, “As a longtime supporter of Rebuilding Boston Together, Marcus Partners was grateful this year for the opportunity to also make a direct impact on Catholic Charities’ clients for our annual volunteer day.”

“From a Marcus Partners standpoint, we like to give back to the communities we do business in,” he continued. “Doing this kind of hands-on work, and being here in person, you get so much more out of it than you would just giving a financial donation.”

In addition to the play space, the Marcus Partners volunteers created a new and refurbished common room for adults at CCI, complete with new hardwood floors, a T.V., computers, bookshelves and brand-new couches and chairs for lounging, as well as a new recreational area outside the shelter that includes a basketball hoop, a hopscotch court, picnic tables, new planters, and a fence around the area to ensure safety and privacy for the residents.

“Marcus Partners have been amazing in supporting the Catholic Charities Inn,” said Walker. “Shortly after the shelter opened, they put out a call for backpacks before the school year. They organized a toy drive, a coat drive, and a book drive. Working together, we really can all make a difference.”

To learn more about how you can support clients living at the Catholic Charities Inn, and in other programs, click here.