Country Bank, Wolf & Co. Construct Housing in Haiti

WARE — In October, a team of officers and a trustee from Country Bank traveled to Haiti as part of a mission of the Be Like Brit Foundation. During the seven-day excursion, the group built a home in the community of Grand Goave, while connecting with children at the foundation’s nearby orphanage.

Country Bank was joined on the trip by Mark O’Connell, CEO of Wolf & Co., an accounting firm with offices in Boston and Springfield, along with five members of his team. Dubbed ‘Team Double Trouble,’ each group built a new house, benefiting two of the area’s disadvantaged families.

Housing is still greatly needed more than five years after the earthquake that devastated the Caribbean nation. The team from Country Bank cleared the lot, hand-poured the foundation, and framed and finished the structure. All the lumber, concrete, and water to the two remote building sites were carried by hand by the teams.

“As community bankers, we are deeply involved with the families in need in our own region,” said Paul Scully, president and CEO of Country Bank, who traveled with the group. “Our journey with the Be Like Brit Foundation provided us with greater appreciation of the support that people need around the world. It was a life-changing experience for our group on both a personal and professional level, as the trip served as a corporate team-building and bonding opportunity. I am deeply proud to be surrounded by a team of such dedicated and caring individuals.”

In addition to their time building, the teams toured the Mission of Hope International facilities, including a school, computer lab, and library. They also attended church with the children on Sunday and came back to serve lunch the following day.

The orphanage was built in memory of 19-year-old Britney Gengel, the Rutland, Mass. native who perished in the 2010 Haiti earthquake while on a service trip with her college, Lynn University.