The Good Stuff, Vol. 7

tED magazine recently introduced a new column that was created to bring you some positive news in today’s negative world. It’s called “The Good Stuff”, and today we’re highlighting more of the positive news we’ve received from our readers.

In this issue, we’re sharing a story from Concord Electric Supply (CES) in Weymouth:

When one Massachusetts man decided to create something special for children fighting cancer, an army of supporters joined his mission. Concord Electric Supply (CES) in Weymouth, part of the City Electric Supply network, and Coastal Electric are two of the businesses that offered to donate their time and electric supplies to help transform the free, 11-bedroom, 7,000-square-foot dream vacation home on Cape Cod for children fighting cancer and their families. Tim O’Connell, the founder of Tommy’s Place, couldn’t be more grateful for the support he’s received.

“I just believed that once I started, people would come out to help,” O’Connell said. “At first, I was the biggest problem. I wanted to do this all by myself. It took me three weeks to finally make a post asking for help. When I did, the support came flooding in.”

While taking the first step in seeking support was difficult, once he did, O’Connell was amazed by the number of responses he received from tradesmen and residents in the community.

“I must say thank you 500 times a day,” said O’Connell. “When you can’t say thank you enough, that must mean something good is happening, right?”

It all began when O’Connell realized the amount of renovation that was needed to bring his vision to life. The dream vacation home project that’s currently in the making needed more money and work than he expected. Fence, tile, fireplace, plumbing, electrical renovation, and an entire HVAC unit are some of the things that appeared on O’Connell’s to-do list.

“Water was literally pouring through the ceiling,” he said. “The house was built in the 1800s and it probably had 1,800 additions since then, but I knew it’d be perfect. I just needed to ask for help to fix it up.”

That’s when he decided to ask for help on Facebook, and Coastal Electric and CES Weymouth quickly answered his call.

“As soon as Kevin and I found out about Tommy’s Place and heard that Tim needed help, we jumped on it,” said Pat Daly with Coastal Electric. “We reached out to Concord Electric Supply in Weymouth to donate material, and within the first week it was on-site and ready to go.”

Daly didn’t have to ask CES Weymouth twice to join the project and donate some of the electrical materials.

“Pat asked us if we wanted to donate, and that’s all it took. The next thing we knew, we were sending Coastal Electric all the rough-in stuff they needed — 14×2 Romex, Lotus lights, panels, ground rods, wire, switches, everything,” said CES Weymouth Branch Manager Peter Russell. “A lot of people here know about Tommy’s Place, so we were excited to help the kids in any way possible.”

Fortunately, the support for Tommy’s Place continues to increase. Tim’s requests have never been turned away by the community.

“I must have 300 volunteers telling me, ‘I can do this, I know a guy who does that,’” O’Connell said. “There’s always something we’re missing, and people are looking out for us. I never wanted to be a burden on people, and that hasn’t happened at all. Everyone has been so quick to give.”

“Within three days, we had 10 electricians volunteering the first weekend and then 15 out there the second,” said Daly. “We were more than happy to donate our time for such a great cause.”

Everyone’s urgency to help will not be forgotten by the man whose vision sparked a local movement and united support from all walks of life.

“Right away, some people just talk and get something we need,” said O’Connell. “It’s been that way with both Coastal Electric and CES Weymouth; it’s just been amazing. Electricians from Boston to all over South Shore got behind it right away. That stuff won’t be forgotten by me anytime soon.”

That unconditional support is a result of strong relationships that have been formed within the community, including the one between Coastal Electric and CES Weymouth.

“CES Weymouth was the first supply house I had an account with, so when I had this opportunity, I knew they’d be a huge help,” said Daly. “Coastal Electric is still growing, so we couldn’t cover all the materials ourselves. It feels good to see Concord Electric Supply give back because they’re not just supporting me and my business partner Kevin McCurdy, they’re supporting a vacation home that kids will get to enjoy for years and years.”

“The fact that we could be a part of this means a lot to us,” added Russell. “It feels good to help Tommy’s Place, but it’s also an honor to just be presented this opportunity. When we were asked to donate the products, there was no way we were going to turn it down.”

Tommy’s Place is a free 7,000-square-foot vacation home for children and families fighting cancer. It features a home theater, a game room, a music room, and an arts and crafts room. And that’s not all — it also includes an inground pool, a big yard with a jungle gym, and a real firetruck.

tED wants to know about your “Good Stuff”.  If you work with someone who is helping other people, or a group of co-workers that’s creating better outcomes, we want to know about it.

Please send your “Good Stuff” to Online Editor, Nicky Herron at nherron@naed.org and Editorial & Web Assistant, Marie Jakle at mjakle@naed.org. Send us details, names, and photos if you have them.