Paint Tacoma-Pierce Beautiful needs help from Lakewood

By Keegan Patterson on May 29, 2013

Paint Tacoma-Pierce Beautiful, an organization devoted to repainting the houses of low-income homeowners, is currently recruiting a merry band of volunteers to repaint houses this summer. The organization will be recruiting more than 1,000 volunteers from in and around the Pierce County area; high schools, service groups and neighborhood councils are invited to volunteer. Donation-funded food and barbeques will be available to all volunteers.

"Volunteers may sign up for as little as a one day shift or multiple days," says Megan Shea, the community mobilization specialist with Associated Ministries, PTPB's sponsoring agency. "We only require that they be at least 16 years old and have a desire to paint."

In particular, the organization is short on homeowner applicants from Lakewood, and urges Lakewood homeowners whose houses are in need of a paint job and whose incomes fit the requirements displayed at www.paintbeautiful.org to complete a homeowner application. Despite claims of already-passed deadlines on the website, the deadline for homeowner applications has been extended until the organization has a sufficient number of definite eligible homeowner applicants. Homeowners who apply for the service and are selected will be allowed to choose the color of their house.

PTPB wants to implore all those with generous, charitable souls out there to visit their website and fill out either a crew or an individual application. Crew leaders will be chosen once volunteers are broken up into groups. A volunteer orientation will be taking place 5:30-7:30 p.m. Monday, June 10.

For anyone who is unable to participate personally but still wishes to contribute to the cause, donations can be sent directly to Amy Alison at Associated Ministries or www.paintbeautiful.org. Any additional application information will be on that website.