GHF Seeks Paint Pals Saturday, November 14

On Saturday, November 14, friends and members of Galveston Historical Foundation are invited to participate in a community service house-painting project at the historic house selected for this fall’s Paint Pals program. GHF’s long-running paint program is aimed at helping low-income, elderly and/or disabled homeowners in Galveston.

For a home to be selected by the Paint Pals program, it must be small enough that it won’t pose hazardous working conditions for volunteer painters and it must also be occupied by an owner who is unable to do the work him/herself. The Paint Pals program helps Galveston in two ways – it helps neighbors in need at the same time it improves the overall quality of Galveston’s historic neighborhoods.

Since the Paint Pals program began in 1988, GHF has organized volunteers to paint more than 70 different owner-occupied homes in Galveston. GHF’s other programs have helped more than 1000 low-to-moderate income families paint and/or repair and restore their homes over the past two decades.

The Paint Pals program has been funded again this year by a grant from the Permanent Endowment Fund of the Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church. For the past few years the Sherwin Williams Paint Company has generously donated the paint for our projects, this year they are going the extra mile and also supplying some of the volunteer labor. Mario’s on Seawall will donate pizza and drinks for all those who volunteer.

The Paint Pals program, along with other GHF programs aimed at residential and neighborhood rehabilitation, “represent our mission as much as anything we do,” says Matt Farragher, coordinator of the Pain Pals program. “They provide meaningful volunteer experiences, enhance the condition and appearance of historic properties, and help disadvantaged property owners.”

For all details about volunteering to be a Paint Pal on November 14, including time and meeting place, contact Matt Farragher at 409-750-9108 or matt.farragher@galvestonhistory.org. Please respond by Wednesday, November 11.

To learn more about the Paint Pals program and see some pictures of the impact this program makes, visit the GHF website at http://www.galvestonhistory.org/Paint_Pals.asp