CE employee heads community act of kindness

  • Published
  • By Lauren Russell
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs

HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – A Hanscom employee has taken the lead in supporting local establishments as COVID-19 continues to impact his community.

Scott Sheehan, a 66th Civil Engineering Division environmental engineer, has partnered with a neighbor to start a fundraiser to benefit restaurant workers in Salem, Massachusetts, where he lives.

He and his friend, a retired U.S. Army veteran, were inspired to act after watching a news story on a similar effort in Pennsylvania before the holidays.

“Salem is home to a lot of restaurants and tourism spots that have really been affected by the pandemic and distancing guidelines,” said Sheehan, who was recently named a 66th Air Base Group Civilian of the Year. “After we saw the news story, we thought we would give it a try.”

The two men created a GoFundMe page and pushed it out through their personal social media accounts. Community members could nominate restaurant workers who they felt deserved a $100 dollar donation. It wasn’t long before city officials and news outlets pushed it even further.

“So far we’ve raised over $7,500 and handed out over 60 envelopes to bartenders, managers, and wait staff,” said Sheehan. “We plan to keep doing this until we run out of money.”

Sheehan said he hopes their efforts in Salem will inspire other cities and towns.

“One hundred dollars is not going to solve all their problems, and it probably won’t pay the bills,” he said. “We just wanted to let them know that our community appreciates what they do.”