Community Impact project in Pittsburgh improves Family House space

Five companies and their employees, who offered their rental expertise, equipment and labor, completed the latest project of the Community Impact Program at Family House in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, July 20.

The project — another joint effort of the ARA Foundation and The Toro Company Foundation — focused on establishing and beautifying outdoor spaces for families seeking hospital treatment. The goal was to create a “home away from home” feel where guests can relax as they and their families face life-challenging health situations.

The rental businesses and industry suppliers that participated in the project included:

“It’s a big, big site,” says Dan Skena, CERP, president of PartySavvy, of the location the crew worked to spruce up. “It’s a former Courtyard by Marriott that Family House purchased. Family House provides housing for families of people who are coming to Pittsburgh for medical attention and can’t afford a hotel. They had several facilities around the city that were all spread out and once they bought this facility, they were able to close the original ones. Now they have everything in one central location, which is right next door to one of our major hospitals. It’s a great location.”

Landscaping work and spreading mulch kept the team of volunteers busy all day. “I spent the first two hours of my day weeding a landscape bed that was about 4 ft. wide by 100 ft. long and full of vines, trees and all sorts of other things. And then a bunch of us shoveled mulch into wheelbarrows and mulched the landscape beds there,” Skena says.

Given the enormity of the site, Skena says that another couple of days would have been needed to fully complete the project but he is pleased with what the group accomplished. “For the size crew that we had, I think we made quite an impact,” he says.

The Community Impact Program, which to date has spanned projects in Ohio, Colorado, Minnesota, Texas, Florida, California, and now Pennsylvania, involves the ARA Foundation and The Toro Company Foundation partnering with local nonprofit organizations to coordinate community service projects.

The next project is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 19, in Queens, N.Y., at Queens Botanical Garden. Watch your email for further project details and to sign up for participation.

By Brock Huffstutler
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Brock Huffstutler

Brock HuffstutlerBrock Huffstutler

Brock Huffstutler is the regional news editor for Rental Management. He writes and edits articles for ARA’s In Your Region quarterly regional newsletters, Rental Management, Rental Pulse and other special projects. Outside of work, he enjoys biking and spending time at the few remaining vintage record stores in the region.

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