Community: Rezendes Honored by HopeFund

-By Cary Shuman

For the Independent

Executive Director Mary Nee, Kathleen Rezendes, hopeFound hero recipient and hopeFound Board President Stephen Skinner.

Kathleen Rezendes  BNY Mellon in Everett, was honored on April 13 at hopeFound, for her exceptional volunteer work

HopeFound is a non-profit organization that serves men and women in the Greater Boston area who are homeless.

For the past five years, Rezendes, administrative assistant in the assets servicing group, has organized the “Save Our Soap” program at BNY Mellon. Employees who travel for BNY Mellon bring back shampoos and other goodies given out by hotels.

Employees also give cosmetic samples to the program while other purchase items from stores to donate.

All of the toiletries are placed in a big bin before Rezendes helps deliver them to hopeFund’s homeless residents. hopeFound chose to honor Rezendes and BNY Mellon for their work in providing the homeless with everything from shampoo to makeup and shaving cream.

“Our corporate affairs department has been generous and they sponsor the shipping of the items directly to hopeFound at the Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain,” Rezendes.

“It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to do this volunteer work,” said Rezendez. “BNY Mellon really values its relationship with Everett and likewise my colleagues and co-workers here are an inspiration – I see their generosity in the donation bins every day.”

Rezendes has worked at BNY Mellon for 21 years. She took over the “Save Our Soap” program from her immediate predecessor whose first name also happened to be Kathleen.

“When she [Kathleen] left the company, she only sat a few desks away and I felt the job had my name on it, that I should step up and volunteer to take it over and I did,” said Rezendes. “Kathleen did a great job by herself but I thought it would fun to get a team involved so we’ve recruited people to volunteer and get involved and we have 26 donation stations throughout the building.”

Rezendes said that BNY Mellon employees’ donations to the “Save our Soap” program have increased substantially in the past years. In the past five years, BNY Mellon has sent 3,446.2 pounds of toiletries to the hospital.

Joe Ailinger, vice president for media relations at BNY Mellon, said there are 1,500 employees at the Everett offices.

BNY Mellon has hosted Everett Chamber of Commerce breakfasts for more than 10 years. BNY Mellon employees also do volunteer reading at elementary schools as part of a project called “Everybody Wins.”

Ailinger praised Rezendes for her outstanding volunteer efforts. “We’re really proud of Kathleen for her stepping up to the plate,” said Alinger. “We encourage all of our employees to get involved. We want to make a difference where we work and live and Everett’s been so important to our company for many years. So it’s great to give back and we’re proud of her for giving back.”

“Our company values its relationship with Everett and I hope this brings more attention to hopeFund and the good work they do,” said Rezendes.

 

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