Building Impact Holds its Second Annual ‘Non-Gala’

BOSTON — Building Impact, a homegrown organization that simplifies the giving back process by bringing volunteer events and donation drives directly to offices and apartment buildings, held its Second Annual Non-Gala Fundraiser and Celebration recently, and like last year, the emphasis was on food, fun and service to others. Held at the offices of Sullivan & Worcester in Post Office Square, the event combined an award ceremony honoring participating companies and volunteer activities along with a healthy dose of camaraderie. National Development was also feted as the 2014 Non-Gala Honoree.

Sullivan & Worcester partner Louis A. Monti opened the proceedings, telling the crowd of approximately 150 that “Hearing Building Impact’s story reminds me of my alma mater, Holy Cross, whose motto is, ‘Men and Women for Others.’ And Building Impact is truly fostering men and women for others.” Monti then turned the event over to the organization’s co-founder, Paradigm Properties Principal Kevin McCall, who explained how the program works in simple terms. “Through our program we really aspire to get people on what we call ‘the path to engagement,’ and help push them down that path towards deeper involvement in the community,” outlined McCall, who offered this piece of advice to the new volunteers, “Don’t measure yourself against the most engaged people in the community that you know. Just do a little bit more this year than you did last year. And if all of us do that, it adds up to a lot of help for people in need.”

McCall then introduced Edward Marsteiner of National Development—one of Building Impact’s founding partners and largest supporters—who told the gathering, “We believe in (Building Impact’s) mission. There are a lot of people out there that truly want to do good and there are a lot of great non-profits out there, and Building Impact has done a phenomenal job of serving as that critical bridge between the two.” National Development was feted at this year’s event for its support as one of the group’s earliest backers.

Building Impact was originally monikered “Community Connection” in 1998 as a tenant appreciation program for buildings owned and managed by Paradigm. The organization was re-named Building Impact in 2003, and today connects non-profits with 598 companies with more than 20,000 employees in 53 buildings owned by 18 separate real estate companies. In 2013 alone, the campaign raised $557,634 dollars and participants logged nearly 3,400 hours of volunteer time. The organization also helped save close to 2,500 lives through blood drives at participating facilities. The service stations at this year’s event carried out a variety of worthy endeavors, making no-sew fleece blankets for Friends of Boston’s Homeless; decorating boxes for race stops for Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger; making Learning Launch Kits for the United Way; and crafting greeting cards for Ethos, an elderly and disabled service organization.

Dorrian Cohen Fragola, VP of Business Development at Janitronics Building Services and Building Impact board member, thanked the volunteers for their service and reminded the crowd that their organization supports a wide range of non-profits who “rely on Building Impact to help supply them with the life blood of their organizations—their volunteers,” and urged the gathering to reach out and learn more about the organizations that are making a difference in the community. Following the event, Justin Berke, Director of Strategic Partnerships for Building Impact, told Real Reporter that although donations to Building Impact are vital to the success of the organization, “what’s equally important is the (infusion) of all of the volunteers that we get in order to sustain the mission the non-profits,” said Berke. “So we ask people to roll up their sleeves for a real grass roots effort, get out there, and make a difference.