Paint-a-Thon project spruces up senior’s home
This old house once knew the children, this old house still knows the wife, this old house was their safe haven in the hardships in their life. This old house heard children’s laughter and it heard their many shouts, then it stood in disrepair with the new homes all about.
This old house is occupied by an 85-year-old widow with limited mobility, and it was nominated for a paint project by John Wallace of Neighbor Works, who delivers her Meals on Wheels. The project was carried out by a team from Zions Bank, and the recipient was so excited to have her house painted.
Zions Bank has been performing the paint-a-thon projects for 27 years and this year has 44 teams in Utah and Idaho, from St. George to Boise. The team that worked on this project comes from the Zions Bank branches in Santaquin, Payson, Spanish Fork, Provo, and Orem. The team captain for this project was Bryan Halverson, Spanish Fork Financial Center Manager. Bryan has been working on the paint-a-thon projects for ten years.
Every year Zions Bank employees donate their evenings for a week to paint the house of a person in need. They paint after work and bring their families to help. The employees sign up for the day of the week, what equipment they can bring and how many people they will bring with them. Some members of Bryan’s team were Janet Sanford, who has been doing this every year since the project began, and Chad Bishoff who brought his wife Brooke, who came for the first time, and their four children including their 10-month old son James. Chad and his friend, Sam Jex, were on the roof painting the eaves. Sam Jex has been bringing his daughter, Sadie, who is 11 years old, for three years. This year they were joined by his wife Elizabeth.
We counted about 20 people on the front and sides of the house which included those named above and Rock Boulter, Isaiah Young and his wife, Amanda Lambson, Rachel Dunlap, Paul Perry, his wife Jennifer and his daughter, Boryana who is 6 years old. This was also the first year for Jennifer Deem. Richard Mason of the Provo office has been coming for four years, and Scott Nebeker of the Provo office has been coming for five years.
Those who were working on the back of the house were Charlotte Grotegut who has been coming for six or seven years, Dave, Alexandra, and Tawni Shipley who have worked on three houses, and two young girls, Julia and Hailey.
Jones Paint and Glass donated the paint and supplies, and a meal of Hawaiian chicken and rice on Monday night was donated by Kepi Heimuli who is a bank employee. Tuesday and Wednesday’s dinners were donated by Glade’s Drive In and Costa Vida in Spanish Fork. We commend Zions Bank, Jones Paint and Glass, Glade’s Drive In, Costa Vida, and Kepi Heimuli, and all of the volunteers for this project.
It is great to see these things going on in our community.