Partner's Annual Paint-A-Thon set for April

Posted

Three or four homes on the slate for the 2022 beautification effort

BY PCC STAFF

FORT MADISON - The annual Paint-A-Thon in Fort Madison is set to begin next month.

Prepping and painting of homes will begin on April 22 and Fort Madison Partners is looking for groups of volunteers and individuals to help make this critical beautification effort a success again in 2022.

Painting, as always, will begin as soon as prep work is complete.

Volunteers are needed so get your group (friends from work, service organization, church group, etc.) together and call the Partner office at 319-372-5471.

“We have had a number of applicants this year with homes in all states of repair/repainting needs” said Tim Gobble, Fort Madison Partners Executive Director.

“I am looking for not only volunteers that are willing to help paint, but also those knowledgeable- and with the tools- to help with some of the repair/replacement needs for the homes as well.  Our goal will be 3 or 4 qualifying homes depending on volunteers”.

WHAT IS “PAINT-A-THON”?

The Paint-A-Thon is an event in which volunteer groups paint owner-occupied homes in the city limits of Fort Madison. This event allows homeowners with financial and physical limitations to have their homes painted free of cost so they can use their income to cover other important costs, such as medication, groceries and utility bills.  Residents will apply to have the exterior of their homes painted, then volunteers from civic groups, churches and businesses lend a helping hand to paint, and local businesses and residents donate supplies.

Who Can Volunteer?

The Paint-A-Thon is a major volunteer event. It takes 20 to 30 people per house with one volunteer leader.  Volunteers will need to make themselves available at some point during the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the week.  Volunteers must be 16 years old or older (parental/guardian signature on waiver required between the ages of 16/17) to be a part of a team and willing to put in the work to get the house painted. Waivers will need to be signed by all volunteers.   Teams of volunteers are needed from businesses, churches, schools, industry, social service and civic groups, etc. 

“We will need a “Team Leader” to be a contact that can then pass information along to their volunteers (teammates) and help prepare for the home selection process," Gobble said.

“We will be looking for people who can crawl up ladders (if needed) and able to stand for long periods of time during this process.  All are welcome to participate but the team leader will be responsible for delegating the tasks to those team members."

This project is great for anyone looking for an opportunity to help out others in the community.  If your group is interested in volunteering, contact Fort Madison Partners via email at tgobble@fortmadison.com or calling 319-372-5471 by April 1st.

What Happens?

Once Community Action has qualified the house(s) and they have been inspected, a team of volunteers from the community will be assigned to scrape, prime and paint each house. Homes are painted throughout the week of April 25th and work times will be set by the team leader. Team leaders will coordinate with their team and visit the home prior to April 25th to evaluate the homes needs regarding prep work such as: debris removal, power washing, scraping of peeling paint, caulking and spot priming, etc.

Fort Madison Partners is currently looking for sponsorships to offset the incidental costs of paint supplies, yard equipment, home prep needs, etc. as well as volunteer needs such as water, snacks, etc. These sponsorships will be promoted through volunteer t-shirts, media and social media outlets. Kempker’s True Value & Rental, Inc. has once again agreed to supply all the paint that is used and Community Action of Southeast Iowa will help choose the houses to be painted and do small repairs if necessary.  There are still a few sponsorship opportunities available, so give us a call.  Monetary or painting supplies donations will also be accepted.

Volunteers will be needed from many community organizations, businesses, industries and citizens to help paint with their “team”. This community beautification effort is a great way to help those qualifying candidates maintain their property (therefore helping local property values), increase energy efficiency, beautify the community and lend a helping hand to someone that may not be able to do it on their own. The Paint-a-Thon is a collaborative effort between Community Action of Southeast Iowa, Kempker’s True Value & Rental, Inc and Fort Madison Partners.  This is a partnership venture to get something started for the betterment of Fort Madison and one funding source to the Fort Madison Beautification Foundation- a 501c3 Not for Profit organization. 

For more information on how to get involved, please call the Partners office at 319-372-5471!

beautification, donations, fort madison partners, homes, news, Paint-A-Thon, Pen City Current, project, Tim Gobble, Volunteers

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here