Briefly:
- AEC Cares brings in combination structure, engineering, and building pros to offer again to communities thru impactful renovation initiatives.
- This yr’s tournament all in favour of renovating the Catholic Charities Youngster Heart at St. Peter’s in Boston, growing welcoming and purposeful areas for native teenagers.
- The AEC Cares Guidance Committee controlled making plans, coordination, and execution, making sure the venture’s good fortune thru teamwork and volunteerism.
- Upgrades incorporated revamped leisure spaces, a brand new tune room, a weight room, a dance studio, and refreshed communal areas.
- The renovated Youngster Heart gives a protected and galvanizing surroundings, fostering expansion, studying, and certain building for native formative years.
On Wednesday, June 4, greater than 100 volunteers from the structure, engineering, and building (AEC) trade amassed in Boston for an annual day of provider thru AEC Cares, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit group of which ConstructConnect® is a founding member and number one organizer. AEC Cares used to be based in 2011 by means of contributors of the structure, engineering, and building trade who shared a imaginative and prescient of giving again to communities in want. Every yr, AEC Cares engages trade pros in a volunteer tournament coinciding with the yearly AIA Convention on Structure & Design. Previous places have incorporated Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
This yr’s volunteers participated in its 2025 Day of Provider renovating the Catholic Charities Youngster Heart at St. Peter’s. Even supposing the transformation happened in at some point, this venture used to be made imaginable by means of over a yr of making plans and coordination by means of the AEC Cares Guidance Committee, a small staff of volunteer workforce contributors at ConstructConnect who’re chargeable for the whole lot from scouting out the web site of every yr’s AEC Cares venture, operating with professional bono designers to outline the scope of the renovations, and making sure every venture has the sponsors and volunteers it must be triumphant.
“AEC Cares is dedicated to converting areas and lives thru community-focused renovation initiatives, because of the efforts of trade volunteers in the course of the coordination of our Guidance Committee,” stated Jennifer Johnson, President of the AEC Cares Board of Administrators and ConstructConnect Leader Product Officer. “Our tale is considered one of network, determination, and the realization that small movements may end up in large adjustments, yr after yr.”
At the day of provider itself, the Guidance Committee treated prepping the web site, checked in volunteers, and rolled up their sleeves to deliver the imaginative and prescient to existence along the ones volunteers. Their paintings no longer most effective embodies ConstructConnect’s project to energy the folk and initiatives that construct thriving communities but in addition displays their determination to provider.
The 2025 award recipient, The Catholic Charities Youngster Heart at St. Peter’s, serves kids in Dorchester’s Bowdoin-Geneva group, offering after-school and summer season techniques that construct vanity and expand equipment for educational and private expansion. This yr’s renovation spanned two flooring and a couple of room sorts on the Youngster Heart. The doorway space and hallway at the first flooring had been refreshed to create a extra welcoming surroundings. The basement degree noticed an entire redesign, together with freshly painted and refinished toilets, a completely furnished fashionable sport house, tune room, weight room, dance studio, and cafeteria house. New ground, ceiling tiles, paint, furniture, finishes, and lighting had been added to each flooring to create a extra inviting house.
Because the mud in this venture settled, we spoke with contributors of the AEC Cares Guidance Committee about their enjoy and this yr’s #AECCaresProject. Stay studying for a in the back of the scenes have a look at this venture from the individuals who deliberate it.
What number of years have you ever been concerned with AEC Cares, and what’s your position at the Guidance Committee?
“I’ve been concerned with AEC Cares since the first actual venture in New Orleans in 2011. All over that venture we renovated 5 homes after the devastation of storm Katrina to assist the network get again on their ft. This yr, I served as venture supervisor for this yr’s Guidance Committee. A few of my core obligations incorporated discovering, visiting, and recommending doable websites for AEC Cares to renovate. After touchdown on Catholic Charities Boston’s Youngster Heart, I labored carefully with our professional bono design workforce and common contractor in addition to Catholic Charities Boston to make sure we had the whole lot we had to make this venture a good fortune.”
– John Royster AEC Cares Board Member and ConstructConnect Vice President, Buyer Make stronger & Operations
“Even supposing I assisted with ultimate yr’s AEC Cares venture in Washington D.C. after becoming a member of ConstructConnect in Might of 2024, this used to be my first complete yr serving at the Guidance Committee because the social media supervisor. I assist inform the tale of the venture—highlighting the project, other folks concerned, and the affect we’re making. I focal point on growing content material that stocks what AEC Cares is all about, giving shoutouts to our superb sponsors, and appearing the transformation that occurs on our construct day. It’s a workforce effort, and I’m happy I am getting to play an element in serving to extra other folks see the nice that comes out of this paintings!”
– Julie Riley AEC Cares Guidance Committee Member and ConstructConnect Social Media Supervisor
“I’ve been excited about AEC Cares for 5 years and 4 initiatives. I’ve taken on much more accountability within the Guidance Committee this yr, going from most effective dealing with the meals and drinks for volunteers to extra behind-the-scenes paintings. This yr I assisted with coordinating with our professional bono design groups, managing bureaucracy for the venture, and organizing the fabrics and specifications that got to us by means of the design workforce.”
– Tiffany Moehrke AEC Cares Guidance Committee Member and ConstructConnect Supervisor, Buyer Operations
What impressed you to become involved with AEC Cares?
“It is something to plot those occasions; it’s some other to be a part of the renovation itself and to peer the affect it has. I’ll by no means overlook about those two eight-year-old boys that hopped on our volunteer bus in 2016 proper once we reworked their formative years heart. Each walked down the aisle of the bus and hugged each and every unmarried volunteer and thanked them for remodeling their house. After that, I used to be hooked.”
– Derek Guffey AEC Cares Board Member and ConstructConnect Vice President, Gross sales
“I’ve had a cushy spot for volunteer paintings since I used to be younger. It began once I used to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. I beloved seeing the direct, visual affect the ones initiatives had on communities. It used to be a an identical sentiment that drew me to AEC Cares; the danger to be a part of one thing hands-on, the place you’ll be able to see the transformation occur proper in entrance of you. Since I’ve transform excited about AEC Cares, I’ve additionally been impressed by means of the sorts of organizations we fortify. Every of the charities we’ve helped are doing extremely significant paintings and really deserve the assist.”
– Ayzia Baros AEC Cares Guidance Committee Member and ConstructConnect Senior Buyer Care Supervisor
“I in reality price that ConstructConnect helps tasks like AEC Cares—it displays our dedication to giving again in an actual, hands-on means. Such a lot of my day is spent in the back of a display, and this provides me an opportunity to step clear of the pc and be bodily provide in the neighborhood. It’s rewarding to give a contribution to one thing so tangible and significant along others in our trade.”
– Kelsey Erhart AEC Cares Guidance Committee Member and ConstructConnect On-line Content material & Group Supervisor
What’s your favourite a part of this yr’s venture?
“My favourite a part of this yr’s venture used to be the listening excursion and brainstorming consultation AEC Cares had with the kids who use the gap. After this passed off, I were given to listen to about what they envision for the renovated house. Getting to listen to them reimagine their areas to be extra welcoming and purposeful used to be this kind of particular a part of the design and made the result of this venture much more private.”
– Blaise Bornhorst AEC Cares Guidance Committee Member and ConstructConnect Engagement Senior Supervisor
“What excites me maximum this yr is the wide-reaching affect of the venture—particularly for the youngsters. Developing an area the place they are able to really feel protected, be told, develop, and simply be children throughout essentially the most early life in their lives is one thing I’m extremely proud to be a part of and I will’t wait to peer the end result of this yr’s venture.”
– Kate Wenzel AEC Cares Guidance Committee Member and ConstructConnect Director, Emblem & Virtual Advertising
“I am firstly from Connecticut and spent a vital a part of my existence in Boston, so having this yr’s venture in Dorchester feels love it’s going down proper in my outdated yard. That makes this venture that a lot more particular to me.”
– Brittani Phillips AEC Cares Guidance Committee Member and ConstructConnect Senior Built-in Advertising Supervisor
“Giving children an area that’s protected, a laugh, and works neatly for them will make a large distinction of their lives. Seeing the adaptation an act of kindness could make in any individual’s existence is so significant. I sought after to be a part of one thing that builds a brighter long term and makes a long-lasting affect.”
– First light Reiner AEC Cares Guidance Committee Member and ConstructConnect Senior Occasions Supervisor
To look the result of #AECCaresProejctBoston take a look at this protection from CBS Information.Click on right here if you have an interest in volunteering, donating, or sponsoring the AEC Cares Day of Provider in 2026.
