Ramona High School Habitat Chapter joined volunteers from Coptic Christian Church to help Ramon, a senior homeowner who lives in Moreno Valley’s Santiago Estates. Ramon has been going through some tough personal and financial times. He is currently using his savings to cover his living expenses while waiting for his Social Security to begin. Park management asked Habitat for Humanity Riverside to assist him with painting his home and completing some exterior repairs. The carpeting for the patio and steps needed to be replaced and the bottom trim was rotted in several areas. These repairs are scheduled to be completed after the painting project.
Michael who volunteered with Habitat Riverside at the start of the month to help paint a retired citizen’s home brought members from his church to help with the paint job. Since Michael and the members from his church arrived first they helped setup while waiting for the Ramona Chapter members. Once the caravan of students arrived they were ready to contribute their skills on the paint day. Safety orientation was held for the group and a Saturday morning devotion got everyone in the right frame of mind to begin their day. Most of the students were under the age of 18 so they were shown how to use extension poles to get the high areas without leaving the ground. Everyone else that could be on a ladder took care of the high areas and the trim. The students that were 18 were proud to work on ladders especially Stephania, Bernice and Mary Sophia since they all had just turned 18.
The two groups worked great together getting all of the home completed by 11:30. They even had enough time to help a close neighbor with her patio lattice. Her home was painted earlier in the year. The Ramona students finished painting the lattice for her in about 20 minutes. Once both projects were completed; both groups took group photos with Ramon and his fluffy dog.
Ramon thanked them for painting his home and appreciated the repairs that were to be completed for him. Coptic Christian Church memebrs and Ramona Chapter volunteers, Thank you for giving up your Saturday morning to give Ramon “A Brush with Kindness.”
