Pitching in, sprucing up, working hard, doing good

This year, for the first time, Gouthro invited her family to her antique Beverly farmhouse for the annual Independence Day bash.

The change of venue was inspired by an unexpected gift. Electric Insurance Co., a local provider of home and auto insurance based in Gouthro’s hometown, recently extended a helping hand to the single mother of five, giving her a home makeover.

Some 70 volunteers, employees of the firm, labored for two days late last month sprucing up Gouthro’s modest three-bedroom home, a fixer-upper she had purchased in 2005 with a small sum she inherited from her father’s estate. Overgrown bushes were chopped down and hauled away. The dirt driveway was paved, the house patched and painted, and the front stoop repaired.

The July Fourth celebration was Gouthro’s first family barbecue.

“In the past, the yard was such a mess, I was too embarrassed to have them over,’’ said Gouthro, 50, giggling with excitement. “I’ve been so broke, I couldn’t even afford a little garden set. Literally, it was all I could do just to make the mortgage payment each month.’’

Gouthro was selected for the home makeover from a field of hopeful homeowners who were each nominated by a local charity. Her name was submitted for consideration by Gail Mountain, a site coordinator for the One Family Scholars program, which helps single mothers earn college degrees so they can embark on careers that pay a wage high enough to support their families. Mountain works at Wellspring House Inc., a Gloucester nonprofit that provides support and shelter to single moms and their children.

For the past eight years, Gouthro has been participating in the One Family Scholars program. With help from the program, which covers tuition and provides funds for necessary household expenses such as transportation and child care, Gouthro was able to finish her studies at Salem State College and earn a law degree from the Massachusetts School of Law at Andover.

Ultimately, Gouthro’s goal is to become an attorney and help other women like herself break the cycle of poverty and advocate for children with special needs. Both causes are close to her heart.

Gouthro has struggled to meet her living expenses and at times has not had enough food for her table, even with the financial assistance provided by the One Family Scholars program. Her youngest child has special needs as the result of a brain injury suffered at birth.

The home makeover, Gouthro likes to tell people, “was the greatest graduation gift.’’ Volunteers started prepping her home for the makeover in May, the week after she finished her law school classes.

“’A lot of companies have foundations; what separates us is volunteerism,’’ said Bob Lessard, leader of the Community Involvement Team at Electric Insurance. “When we engage in a project, we don’t just write a check. We look for an opportunity to volunteer, to make a difference.’’

Added Nick Schulson, vice president of human resources: “Our associates are overwhelmingly clear about the fact that they value working for a socially conscious company and, quite frankly, expect it.’’

Electric Insurance has contributed more than $1 million in the past 10 years to philanthropic endeavors, an amount that covers the cost of materials for projects and salaries of employees who volunteer.

This year, the company is contributing about 3,000 volunteer hours and roughly $150,000 to charitable programs, including the North Shore Medical Center’s cancer walk, the local Meals on Wheels program, and Beverly Bootstraps, which provides needy children with backpacks filled with school supplies.

Gouthro’s home makeover is by far the company’s biggest project for 2009, with more than 500 volunteer hours donated to it. To ensure the project’s success, Electric Insurance partnered with Zampell Building Services of Newburyport, the facilities maintenance contractor that manages Electric Insurance’s headquarters. Zampell, which is owned and operated by Beverly native Jim Zampell and his wife, Christine, donated heavy equipment and prepared Gouthro’s home.

This is the second year that the two companies have worked together to give a deserving family a home makeover. Last year, volunteers from Electric Insurance and Zampell improved the home of an elderly couple who could not do the work themselves.

It’s been several weeks since the volunteers first showed up at her door, and Gouthro said the reality it all is just sinking in.

“When I first learned that I had won the makeover, I thought they’d choose one project, maybe do something like paint the house,’’ said Gouthro. “I never imagined they’d not only paint the house, but also give me new stairs and doors, pave the driveway, and landscape the entire yard. It’s just amazing.

“It would be hard for me to choose what I like best about the makeover,’’ she said. “I think if I were pressed to pick just one thing, I would have to say it’s the fact that someone would even do this for me.’’

Brenda J. Buote may be reached at bbuote@comcast.net