Morgan Hill nonprofit helps out those less fortunate with food, clothing
Published in the August 31 – September 13, 2016 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
South Valley’s Edward Boss Prado Foundation got a little home improvement help from Lowe’s when a group of “Be a Hero” volunteers from the company’s San Jose stores spent time Aug. 23 putting up a shade awning and providing some landscaping at the Morgan Hill Cecelia’s Closet storage site.
The volunteers used material donated by Lowe’s to build a shade structure for volunteers to sort clothing and other items. A Lowe’s human resource person contacted Cecelia Ponzini, who started the foundation in honor of her son, and offered to help out with any non-permit construction that the foundation might need done, Ponzini said. Besides landscaping and construction material, Lowe’s provided tables and chairs to be placed under the awning.
“They gave me all kinds of stuff,” Ponzini said. “I’m sort of in awe. I wonder, does this really happen in life? I’m surprised that this stuff is happening. We haven’t had to ask anybody, and that makes it really special that people are recognizing what we’re doing and they’re jumping in.”
Lowe’s Heroes Project brings volunteers and materials together to help worthwhile community organizations such as the Prado Foundation and Habitat for Humanity, said Joel McClish, who works with contractors in Lowe’s professional services department in the San Jose Cottle Road store and helped out with the Cecelia’s Closet project.
“We have a team of people we call the Heroes Project, and what we do is look in the local community for ways to give back to the local community,” he said. “We came on this project and our human resource people said, it’s a great project, let’s come and see what they need and what we can do for them, so that’s how we ended up being here. Our program is really, really strong in giving back to the community.”
Jesse Martinez, a product services associate at Lowe’s Newhall Drive store in San Jose, said he didn’t think twice about volunteering his time to help in improving the Cecelia’s Closet site because many at-risk children and families with lower financial status are helped by the program with clothes and food and other supplies.
“It was like a blessing for me to come out because one of the things I like doing is helping people in need,” he said. “To me it was a no-brainer to be able to come out here and help. It’s an honor to be able to do something like this for someone who is trying to help her fellow man out in the community.”
