A Home Teeming With Energy And Hope | Falmouth Columns | capenews.net – CapeNews.net

As Donna and I entered what is truly a home, lovingly and painstakingly restored under Tim’s supervision but with the help of an ever-growing team of designers, contractors, artists, and other volunteers, we were greeted by renowned designer and television personality Taniya Nayak, who has been a tireless volunteer at Tommy’s Place since the early days of the project and was on hand to help with a photo shoot for Falmouth Living magazine.

Taniya’s ebullience was palpable as she explained how and why she got involved in this labor of love. “He reached out blindly and messaged me on Instagram and I said ‘100 percent yes,’ ” she noted, explaining that the scope of renovating the 11 bedrooms and host of other fun spaces was so significant that she recruited a team of 24 designers, muralists and artists to help transform this historic inn into a loving and welcoming place for families needing just that—a place to exhale and feel loved and welcomed. “This place is super special,” she noted, capturing the sentiments of anyone who has the opportunity to feel the love of this extraordinary place.

As we went from room to room and soaked in the love that makes each one unique, we realized how much Taniya is right. Tommy’s Place and its founder are indeed super special. From the time I sat with Tim three years ago at a table at Coffee Obsession and learned of his dream to the doors opening for a family in need just days ago, this project has been all about Tim’s ever-expanding network of friends and supporters and his ability to welcome others into his dreamscape on Elm Arch Way.

As you walk up the stairs near the main entrance, pictures of the family of Grifyn Sawyer guide you to the second floor. Tim never met Grifyn, but he is the reason Tommy’s Place exists. Years ago, Tim was asked to donate a week at a home he owned on Martha’s Vineyard to a family with a loved one suffering with cancer. Tim obliged and received a package a few weeks later addressed to “Mr. Anonymous,” filled with letters of thanks and photos. That package changed Tim’s life and resulted in his dream to open what is now a house full of love in downtown Falmouth. Grifyn’s mom, Amy, shared with Tim in one of those letters, “I hope to do the same thing for another family some day.” Her wish was granted with Tommy’s Place, and that quote is on the wall as you climb the stairs.

At the now-completed Tommy’s Place, each room is filled with artwork, symbols and reminders of loved ones who inspired the generosity that helped make Tommy’s Place a reality. Each room bears the heartprints of those who donated their time, their love and their resources to make Tommy’s Place a reality. The dynamic artistic duo of Mindy and Ronnie Reasonover painted a stunning mural that turns an entire hallway into a walk on the beach through a blooming cornucopia of hydrangeas. A butterfly happily flies along, a quiet symbol of the loved one of a supporter who passed. Those symbols fill each room. Karen Rinaldo sponsored a room and has been a tireless supporter and fundraiser. Linda Zammer was an early supporter and sponsored a room as well. From the story of Margie Noonan, who delivered Tim his first donation check in the parking lot of a local restaurant, to the delivery driver from Crane Appliance who told Tim he lost a brother to cancer and inscribed his name on the wall, every step and every glance produces an inspirational and moving story.

The first family to stay at Tommy’s Place was the family of Danny Sheehan of Marshfield, known to his many supporters and followers as “Officer Danny,” having been named an honorary police officer in Marshfield. “Danny’s room” is adorned with a mural depicting many of his favorite things—police cruisers, Aquaman, the number 100, and Doritos. The room captures the personality and indomitable spirit of this incredible, unforgettable and courageous boy who just last year was telling jokes and entertaining attendees at a Tommy’s Place fundraiser.

Each family who stays at Tommy’s Place also inscribes their own message on a mural on the wall just inside the entrance, leaving their mark forever. A recent family known as “Ali’s Army” offered words of encouragement to future families, noting, “You’re allowed to scream, you’re allowed to cry, but do not give up.” A tradition has also already begun where families leaving leave a note for the “next family,” sharing thoughts, suggestions and words of hope, a connection that only families in their situations can understand.

In one of the recreation rooms, a magnetic board with dozens of plastic magnetic letters allows families to be creative and leave messages. As we stood there talking, Donna and Tim, in an unplanned but poignant symbol of love and kindness, created a crossword-type display with the names of Ali, Danny, Quinn and Ryan displayed, the first four of many kids gifted with a stay at Tommy’s Place, connected to one another as part of the Tommy’s Place family, and forever connected in the spirit that flows through this amazing home.

As the design and construction progressed, Tim made a commitment to keep some of this history of the building intact, in part an homage to the Richardson family, whose act of kindness in the sales price was the first act of generosity in the chain of charitable efforts that culminated—but did not end—when the doors opened to Danny’s family. As you walk through the home, the original 19th-century beams are in full view in the ceiling of every room. “We saved it for a reason—not to hide it again,” Tim explained, his experience as a contractor informing his commitment to not only preserving, but displaying, the proud history of this downtown edifice.

In the “space” room, which used to be a patio where owner Flossie Richardson would sit in her rocking chair, many of the namesakes fly among the stars in a celestial mural that evokes images of the night sky. Tommy Leonard, Flossie Richardson and Grifyn Sawyer all shine together on the ceiling with John Legere, the room sponsor and former CEO of T-Mobile, whom Tim contacted with a Facebook post. His penchant for making friends out of strangers is a huge part of the success of Tommy’s Place.

Tommy’s Place is so named because Tim O’Connell wanted to provide a legacy for Tommy Leonard, another legend of giving and generosity in our community whose commitment to charity Tim admired. When Tommy passed, I noted in a column honoring his life, “His life was a good run. Few lives are lived with a humility and unwavering sense of charity that leaves such a mark on so many.” Today, the same can be said for Tim O’Connell. He is now dedicating his life so that families have love, support, and solace during their most difficult days. Tim has much left to do, but his own unwavering sense of charity has already left a mark on so many.