June 13, 2023

Community joins together for day of service to support The Gray House

REGIONAL
Staff report

Pictured are KeyBank volunteers Ramon (Tito) Albizu, Kendle Taylor, Vanity Bryant, Melissa Weber, Nina Marion, Analisha Michanczyk, Sara Germini, Glendalee Rosado. (iObserve photo/Kristen McClintock)

SPRINGFIELD – Over 40 volunteers from local businesses came together on Saturday, June 10 to complete improvement projects at The Gray House, a small, social-service agency located in the North End of Springfield.

The day of service was organized by Analisha Michanczyk, regional corporate responsibility officer for KeyBank, and her husband Rob Michanczyk, owner of DRM Home Improvement of Bristol, Conn. More than a dozen projects were completed, including interior and exterior renovations, painting, landscaping and general maintenance tasks.

Participating companies that provided volunteers or donations included Century 21 AllPoints Realty; Gois Broadcasting- Mega Boston 94.9; Mega Lawrence 95.1; Mega Worcester 106.1; Mega Hartford 101.7; Kappa Consulting; KeyBank; Marion Excavation Co.; Memos Restaurant; Restore LLC; Richard’s Grinders; Sorrento Restaurant; Top Dog Home Solutions; and the Vitamin Shoppe.

“There is an inevitable amount of wear-and-tear that occurs when you serve over 13,000 unique individuals each year from a 151-year-old Victorian house, and there never seems to be enough hours in the day for our small team of staff to do it all,” said Kristen McClintock, executive director of the agency. “That is why we are so incredibly grateful to Ana and Rob for coordinating this incredible day of service, and to all of those community members and local businesses who, united by their desire to give back, donated their time, resources, and talent to help make our beloved Gray House more beautiful and functional for those we serve.”   

“Coming together to help our community is what we live for,” Analisha Michanczyk said. “At KeyBank we will always have a hand extended for anyone who needs assistance. Whether it be banking needs, financial education, or volunteering support we are always here to help in any way we can.

“Seeing everyone together this weekend brought tears to my eyes. I am so proud of what we were able to accomplish and very grateful to everyone who donated their time, resources, and talents to have such a fun and successful day,” Analisha said. “A big thank you to Kristen and The Gray House for allowing us to plan this and be together this weekend.”