Hauppauge Realtors Help With Spring Cleaning at Port Jeff’s Hope House

The real estate agents from Keller Williams Realty Associates in Hauppauge traveled to Port Jefferson on Thursday to help spruce up its yard and restore an old barn as part of a corporate day of giving.

During their annual RED Day (Renew, Energize and Donate), thousands of the agency’s associates across the country and in Canada head into their local communities to take part in volunteer projects to renew and energize the neighborhoods they serve, according to their website.

Twenty-two agents from the Hauppague office of Keller Williams Realty Associates spent the day with Hope House doing yard work and flower planting at two housing buildings and at the office on High Street. They also restored an old barn on another property.

“That [the barn] was probably the most dramatic change in all our work,” said realtor Cristina Callegari who took part in the event.

This is one of the first RED Day for the office according to a statement released by the agency. It opened its doors on April 24 of this year.

Callegari said that they picked Hope House as their first RED Day project because another agent, Cynthia McKenna, has known Fr. Frank Pizzarelli, the founder and executive director of Hope House, for many years. Hope House is a residential community for homeless young people in need.

“She reached out to him to see if there were things that Hope House needed,” Callegari said. “We were particularly keen on helping those that were helping others - the people that make the most sacrifices for others rarely have nice things done for them in return.”

The office also donated all the plants and material needed to do the planting and scraping and painting the old barn.

Team Leader, Joseph A. Savio said that the work made an impact on each volunteer personally.

“I know that Father Frank appreciated our hard work and generosity too,” he said calling it a “very special place that has made a difference in so many lives.”