Only the soothing swish of cleaning rags and paintbrushes sounded in the first-floor kitchen/den at the Ronald McDonald House on Tuesday as more than two dozen Sherwin-Williams volunteers prepared a nicer space for families of sick children.
The volunteers were part of the paint giant's self-declared National Painting Week, when Sherwin-Williams employees across the country donate time to improve a nonprofit, church or school. Sherwin-Williams donated 25 to 30 gallons of paint for the Ronald McDonald House. The company provides free paint for more than 100 beautification projects.
Sherwin-Williams employees Courtland Archie, front, and Jay Morgan paint the first-floor kitchen.Joshua Dempsey, Ronald McDonald's director of operations, called the donation a gift from God.
"This is a blessing," he said. "We had all three of these rooms scheduled to be renovated, but because of the donation from Sherwin-Williams, we can get it all done in one day."
Getting the work done in a day instead of the usual weeks saves money and means less disruption for families living in the site, Dempsey said.
The Ronald McDonald House lodges 26 families a day, 550 families a year, and there's usually a waiting list, said Tiffany Cobb, director of development. The families live there while their critically ill or injured children get care at area hospitals.
Sherwin-Williams initially contacted the Ronald McDonald House in December to donate gifts for children of families in the house. And when National Painting Week came, District Manager Doug Pridmore reached out again to ask if Ronald McDonald House had any projects where volunteers could help.
Dempsey already had a wish list that included painting the kitchen/dens.
Pridmore was among the volunteers painting the first-floor kitchen/den -- there's one on each floor, with an eating area and couches for lounging. The painting pros used Friendly Yellow for the first floor, Latte on the second and the cool neutral called Chatroom on the top floor. Painters also touched up the basement hallway and the attic.
"It's an opportunity to give color and inspiration, an opportunity to give back to great organizations in Canada and across the U.S." Pridmore said.
Contact staff writer Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com or 757-6431.