 Three Cranston-based companies - The Procaccianti Group, Professional Communications, and Gateways to Change - played a critical role in helping West Bay Residential Services, Inc. to reopen its office and fully recover from the devastation brought on by the floods of 2010. The generosity of the three businesses allowed West Bay not only to refurnish a portion of its Warwick office, but to also install a new telephone system and operate during the rebuilding process.
"The damage from the flood was overwhelming, and without the generous donations of local companies we would not have been able to recover as quickly as we did," said John DiMarco, West Bay Residential's chief executive officer. In all three cases, the fury of Mother Nature fueled a desire to help a neighbor in need. At the Procaccianti Group, Steve Perfetto, the company's construction manager, arranged for the donation of furniture to help West Bay refurnish its facility, as well as several of its area residences. Among the items donated were tables, mirrors, and armoires. Perfetto explained that after a major renovation of one of its hotels, Procaccianti Group had a surplus of furniture and fixings. "It was our pleasure to put these items to such great use," he said. Ronald Brown, owner of Professional Communications, a telephone equipment installer and supplier, loaned West Bay a telephone system and set it up, running telephone and data lines to the temporary office trailers after the flood. That system allowed West Bay employees to continue to work while rebuilding was underway. Once the rebuild was complete, Brown installed a new telephone and voicemail system at a reduced price for West Bay. "West Bay has been a great client of mine for almost 30 years, and they do great work," said Brown. "I wanted to do everything I could to get them up and running." In the days following the flood, West Bay employees began to move all salvageable files from the main office. That's when Cathy McGillivary, director of neighboring Gateways to Change, appeared with her van and staff to help. Gateways to Change, like West Bay, works to enhance the quality of life for persons with developmental disabilities. "Not only did they help move items, but Gateways cleared out two conference rooms in their main office and offered them to us to use as workspace," said DiMarco. "This became the central location for operations until temporary office trailers were installed." For DiMarco and West Bay, what could have been devastating served more as a reminder of the goodwill and kindness of heart found in their neighbors. "Thanks to everyone involved, our facility was completely rebuilt, with a more functional layout, including added space and upgrades," he said. | 
The timely articles and useful information contained within the pages of the "Insider" promise to keep our community closely connected. In addition to news and feature stories, each edition will include regular submissions, such as "Helping Hands," "Spotlight on Business," and recipes. The "Insider" has been in print for five years, making it the longest running newsletter in the history of the West Bay. In this edition, you will find...
