Lifestyles

Brightening Lives

Posted: 2/9/2012

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and George Oliphant, NBC’s home improvement guru and star of “George to the Rescue,” help-ed spruce up The Delores Project, which provides emergency housing and services for women in need.

(NAPSI)—Here’s a beautiful idea: giving emergency shelters uplifting color paint makeovers.

The Color Care Across America project reached a range of shelters—some serving homeless men or women only, some women and families seeking aid from domestic violence. Among the 51 shelters-one in each state plus in Washington, D.C.—there were some offering drug rehabilitation, others dedicated to adults with developmental disabilities, those for recent refugees from war-torn countries and even one that provided sanctuary from child trafficking.

Many Mayors Major Players

Mayors of nearly every city on the Color Care “to do” list took time out of their schedules and appeared at the shelters to express thanks to the volunteer paint crews and meet with the shelter directors and their management. They witnessed firsthand how color almost magically and instantly brightens and revitalizes a facility. Several of the mayors rolled up their shirtsleeves to roll on some paint, as well.

“Many hardworking families are experiencing the loss of their homes and finding that the American dream of home ownership is fading. They are among the growing ranks winding up in shelters. It’s demoralizing, and in some cases, a dehumanizing condition that can break the spirit of any family. Obviously, there’s no simple solution to this troubling occurrence, but Color Care at least helped bring attention to the issue while helping to improve the living environments for those who seek this basic human need of having a roof over their heads,” explained Eileen McComb, key engineer of Color Care and director of corporate communications for Benjamin Moore, a sponsor of the project, along with the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Painting an Decorating Contractors of America.

All told, approximately 3,000 gallons of paint were contributed, including a few extra gallons left behind with brushes and rollers, in case residents, staff or volunteers became inspired to spruce up other areas.

Expert Advice On Hues To Use

Helping to ensure that the color options for these community residences added an upbeat mood while respecting local and regional tastes, the editors of House Beautiful magazine worked with Benjamin Moore’s senior interior designer, Sonu Mathew, to put together seven suggested palettes that each shelter was able to choose from.

“There were no cookie-cutter looks,” said McComb, “and no standard institutional hues. This was meant to be an empowering opportunity for the shelters to select colors that are livable and likable.”

Learn More

For more information about the project, you can visit http://apps.facebook.com/bm-colorcare.

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