April 23, 2008
Contact: Doug Robinson
202-220-2360
drobinson@nw.org
Contact: Erin Angell
202-220-6317
eangell@nw.org
Annual NeighborWorks® Paints! Community Building Effort Launches June 7, 2008 Initiative to Kick off the 25th Annual NeighborWorks Week
Washington, DC –NeighborWorks® America today announced its new annual NeighborWorks Paints! community building effort, the first event in a series of weeklong community celebration and education events around the country that will kick off the 25th annual NeighborWorks Week from June 7-14, 2008.
The 2008 annual NeighborWorks Paints! initiative is comprised of more than 60 local NeighborWorks organizations that will collectively use several hundred gallons of paint to beautify and preserve neighborhoods from Jacksonville, Fla., to Aberdeen, Wash., and Anchorage, Alaska, to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“NeighborWorks Paints! will be an incredible celebration of neighbors helping neighbors make the places that they live even better,” said Ken Wade, CEO of NeighborWorks America.
NeighborWorks America and the participating NeighborWorks network organizations are working with the National Council on Paint Disposition, Inc., to use quality, but unwanted paint at selected NeighborWorks Paints! locations. Each year, millions of gallons of paint remain unused or unsold by paint dealers as a result of errors in the process of custom coloring paint, known as mistints. Instead of ending up in a landfill, the paint will be put to good use by NeighborWorks organizations. This step is the latest by NeighborWorks America to improve its environmental footprint and to help the non-profit community do the same. More information on NeighborWorks America’s “green” activities can be found at www.nw.org/green.
In addition, NeighborWorks America also is encouraging the home improvement industry to donate paint and supplies. For information on how a retail or wholesale outlets can support NeighborWorks Paints!, send an email to paints@nw.org.
NeighborWorks Paints! is an example of local volunteer action increasing the livability of a community. Each participating NeighborWorks organization selected their NeighborWorks Paints! project following outreach into the community.
“NeighborWorks organizations are locally-based, independent non-profits that know their communities,” said Melvyn Colon, director of the NeighborWorks Community Building and Organizing Initiatives. “The diversity of the projects within
NeighborWorks Paints! reflect the diversity of our network and the communities that are helped every day.”
About NeighborWorks America
NeighborWorks America creates opportunities for people to improve their lives and strengthen their communities by providing access to homeownership and to safe and affordable rental housing. Since 1991, we have assisted nearly 1.2 million low- to moderate-income families with their housing needs. Much of our success is achieved through our support of the NeighborWorks network ― more than 230 community development organizations working in more than 4,400 urban, suburban and rural communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In the last five years, NeighborWorks organizations have generated more than $15 billion in reinvestment in these communities. NeighborWork America is the nation’s leading trainer of community development and affordable housing professionals. www.nw.org.
