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5/5/2015 Habitat for Humanity helps neighbors get a Brush with Kindness

http://blog.mlive.com/citpat/news_impact/print.html?entry=/2015/04/habitat_for_humanity_helps_nei.html 1/2

Habitat  for  Humanity  helps  neighbors  get  a  Brush  with  Kindness

Katherine  Ranzenberger  |  kranzenb@mlive.com  By  Katherine  Ranzenberger  |  kranzenb@mlive.com  

Follow  on  Twitter  

on  April  23,  2015  at  12:30  PM,  updated  April  23,  2015  at  12:33  PM

JACKSON,  MI  -­  Nearly  400  volunteers  are  coming  together  to  beautify  Jackson  County  area  homes  this  week.

Habitat  for  Humanity  of  Jackson  County  is  hosting  "A  Brush  with  Kindness,"  a  national  program  that  focuses  on

exterior  home  repairs  like  painting  and  landscaping.

"It's  beneficial  across  the  board,"  said  Leanne  Prout,  community  relations  coordinator  for  Habitat  for  Humanity  of

Jackson  County.  "We're  improving  the  entire  look  and  feel  of  the  houses  while  bringing  in  camaraderie.  One  of

the  biggest  punch  lines  is  that  it's  high  impact  and  high  change."

Ten  homes  in  Parma  and  ten  in  Vandercook  Lake  have  been  chosen  for  the  week  of  painting  and  repairing.

"It's  a  great  way  to  build  neighborhood  bonding  and  for  people  to  take  pride  in  their  homes,"  said  Shelly

Kasprzycki,  executive  director  of  Habitat  for  Humanity  of  Jackson  County.

Most  of  the  houses  belong  to  elderly  residents  in  the  area  who  have  trouble  keeping  up  with  minor  repairs  and

general  yard  work,  Prout  said.  The  only  stipulations  were  that  the  homeowner  had  to  have  insurance  and  had  to

own  the  house  and  not  just  rent  it.

Volunteers  will  spend  a  few  hours  each  day  tightening  screws,  painting  exteriors  of  homes,  cleaning  out  garages

and  picking  up  debris  in  yards,  Prout  said.  Saturday  is  the  biggest  day  for  volunteers,  with  multiple  church

groups,  schools  and  organizations  coming  out  to  assist  neighbors  with  tasks  they  might  not  be  able  to  do

themselves.

"We'll  all  be  in  bright  green  T-­shirts,"  Prout  said.  "It'll  be  hard  to  miss  us."

Prout  said  Habitat  received  a  donation  of  nearly  200  gallons  of  paint  from  Valspar,  and  tinting  for  the  paint  will

be  done  through  Lowes.  She  added  Habitat  hopes  to  encourage  people  to  continue  volunteering  in  their

community.

"This  is  a  fresh  new  way  to  support  advocacy  for  others,"  Prout  said.  "It's  a  way  to  uplift  the  community.  We

hope  that  volunteers  can  see  that  a  day  of  week  can  make  such  a  high  impact.  You  can  clean  a  neighbor's  yard

and  make  a  difference."  

!

!

5/5/2015 Habitat for Humanity helps neighbors get a Brush with Kindness

http://blog.mlive.com/citpat/news_impact/print.html?entry=/2015/04/habitat_for_humanity_helps_nei.html 1/2

Habitat  for  Humanity  helps  neighbors  get  a  Brush  with  Kindness

Katherine  Ranzenberger  |  kranzenb@mlive.com  By  Katherine  Ranzenberger  |  kranzenb@mlive.com  

Follow  on  Twitter  

on  April  23,  2015  at  12:30  PM,  updated  April  23,  2015  at  12:33  PM

JACKSON,  MI  -­  Nearly  400  volunteers  are  coming  together  to  beautify  Jackson  County  area  homes  this  week.

Habitat  for  Humanity  of  Jackson  County  is  hosting  "A  Brush  with  Kindness,"  a  national  program  that  focuses  on

exterior  home  repairs  like  painting  and  landscaping.

"It's  beneficial  across  the  board,"  said  Leanne  Prout,  community  relations  coordinator  for  Habitat  for  Humanity  of

Jackson  County.  "We're  improving  the  entire  look  and  feel  of  the  houses  while  bringing  in  camaraderie.  One  of

the  biggest  punch  lines  is  that  it's  high  impact  and  high  change."

Ten  homes  in  Parma  and  ten  in  Vandercook  Lake  have  been  chosen  for  the  week  of  painting  and  repairing.

"It's  a  great  way  to  build  neighborhood  bonding  and  for  people  to  take  pride  in  their  homes,"  said  Shelly

Kasprzycki,  executive  director  of  Habitat  for  Humanity  of  Jackson  County.

Most  of  the  houses  belong  to  elderly  residents  in  the  area  who  have  trouble  keeping  up  with  minor  repairs  and

general  yard  work,  Prout  said.  The  only  stipulations  were  that  the  homeowner  had  to  have  insurance  and  had  to

own  the  house  and  not  just  rent  it.

Volunteers  will  spend  a  few  hours  each  day  tightening  screws,  painting  exteriors  of  homes,  cleaning  out  garages

and  picking  up  debris  in  yards,  Prout  said.  Saturday  is  the  biggest  day  for  volunteers,  with  multiple  church

groups,  schools  and  organizations  coming  out  to  assist  neighbors  with  tasks  they  might  not  be  able  to  do

themselves.

"We'll  all  be  in  bright  green  T-­shirts,"  Prout  said.  "It'll  be  hard  to  miss  us."

Prout  said  Habitat  received  a  donation  of  nearly  200  gallons  of  paint  from  Valspar,  and  tinting  for  the  paint  will

be  done  through  Lowes.  She  added  Habitat  hopes  to  encourage  people  to  continue  volunteering  in  their

community.

"This  is  a  fresh  new  way  to  support  advocacy  for  others,"  Prout  said.  "It's  a  way  to  uplift  the  community.  We

hope  that  volunteers  can  see  that  a  day  of  week  can  make  such  a  high  impact.  You  can  clean  a  neighbor's  yard

and  make  a  difference."  

!

!

!

!