| Editor's note: It took a week longer than planned due to threatening weather, but this years Paint-a-thon is another success. Included below are pictures of some crew members, a thank you letter from the owner and the finished house. |
Dear Volunteers of the Metro Paint-A-Thon 2000,
I just had to write a note of thanks to let every one of you know how very
much I appreciate your generous act of giving of your time and talents to
paint my house and garage. My thanks also go to those of you who organized
and supervised this event, who catered/provided the food for the workers, and
to Hirschfield's for donating all the paint! I feel truly blessed by your
unselfish gift to me. A mere "Thank You" seems so inadequate and simple,
but please know that it comes from my heart.
Although I am low income and physically challenged/disabled, I have pride and
I want my home to look nice and be an asset to the neighborhood, not an
eyesore! I must tell you that I had been feeling bad by the appearance of my
home and garage. I could see the chipped/peeling paint, the aged, worn and
weathered look, and it bothered me. The hail storm a few years ago did a
little damage; just enough to make it look worse, but not enough for the
insurance to cover it. 
So, I have lived with it, but felt bad about how it
looked. I knew it needed to be fixed with siding or painting. The first
option, siding, really wasn't a choice I could make financially, so it meant
seeking to get it painted. That too would have required hiring someone to do
it, but with my low income, it wasn't possible. So, I did a lot of praying and
then I left it in God's hands. My home's appearance had bothered me enough
that I actually talked about it to a few people I knew.
Then, one Sunday, a man at my church said he heard from someone that I was in need of getting my home painted. He gave me a flyer about the Metro Paint-A-Thon 2000 coming up this year and said I should apply. I figured it couldn't hurt. Needless to say, I was overcome with emotion and joy when I was called and told that I had been chosen to have my house and garage painted! My prayers had been answered!
Walking around my home while you were all busy working, I felt so honored
knowing you all were doing this for me, a complete stranger. You gave up
your Saturdays to stand outside in the warm sun to scrape, prime, and paint.
You've made my home and garage go from ugly to beautiful! You have no idea
what joy and peace this brings me.
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Thank you again, and may you all be blessed by your kindness shown to me!
Sincerely,
Marjie