Volunteers spruce up Roxbury school

By Emma Rose Johnson, Globe Staff

More than 75 volunteers gathered at the Tobin School in Roxbury today to tackle projects to spruce up the school.

The work is a joint effort by the New England Steering Committee for Organizing for America and Women for Change. Starting at 8 a.m., volunteers donned work gloves and braved the heat and humidity to paint, landscape around the building, and clean classrooms to make the area more inviting and welcoming to students who will return Sept. 10.

Principal Cheryl Watson-Harris was at the site to welcome the volunteers and work with them, and City Council President Michael Ross was also on hand.

The effort was led by Rob Barber, chair of the New England Steering Committee, a fundraising arm for Organizing for America and the Democratic National Committee. He said volunteers donated money, plants, supplies, and even rented a backhoe for the effort. “We did this as a demonstration and a reflection of our wish to add something to the community where we live,” he said.