City Realty Restores Salesian Boys & Girls Club Computer Lab

Last Wednesday afternoon, Mayor Martin Walsh joined members of City Realty and the staff at the Salesian Boys & Girls Club to cut a ribbon on the Salesian’s newly refurbished computer lab.

City Realty, which has been involved in several development projects in East Boston, recently partnered with the Boys & Girls Club and donated their services to help refurbish and upgrade the club’s computer lab and bring the room into the 21st century.

Over the past several months City Realty’s Chief Technology Officer Jerry Wycoco worked to get the computer lab up and running. Under the direction of City Realty Wycoco refurbished and upgraded the lab’s two dozen computers and also installed a new network server so the internet and other features are able to run smoother.

“When I came on board the computers were not working and kept shutting down,” said Wycoco. “Now we have the computers back on track, and the room is now more welcoming for the kids so they can explore, research and get homework done.”

City Realty’s managing partners Fred Starikov and Steve Whalen added that the development team also had the Salesian computer lab repainted and a new carpet installed.

The Salesian Director of Mission Father John Nazzaro said the Boys & Girls Club has formed a great relationship with the City Realty team over the years.

“Fred and Steve have really opened their hearts,” said Nazzaro. “This computer lab is important because we are working to help the future generation. The things that go on here are miracles and the staff does a great job. With this newly refurbished computer lab we will be able to impact more kids and welcome more kids to improve their education through computer science at the Club.”

Mayor Walsh said his experience growing up in Dorchester and being a member of the Boys & Girls Club there showed him the importance of neighborhood partnerships like the one between the Salesian and City Realty.

“These places (Boys & Girls Clubs) are special places in our neighborhoods,” said Walsh. “They make a big difference in the lives of hundreds of kids. However, many of these Clubs are independent and depend on these types of partnerships and donations in order to thrive and succeed.”

Since they have landed in Eastie and began developing residential projects in the neighborhood, City Realty’s non-profit offshoot, City Kids, has been looking for ways to give back to the community. During its project on Boarder Street, City Realty partnered with the Mario Umana Academy to donate supplies to the school, as well as the community to help clean and maintain a park between Border and Meridian Streets.

Recently City Realty, with the help of the Gove Street Citizens Association, donated Chrome Books to the Sam Adams School’s Autism Strand classroom.

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