On Tuesday, seven students from Riverside Community College Spectrum Group as part of their small group communication class took on the challenge to paint the home of Charles. Charles and his son have resided in the Santiago Estates Mobile Home Park in Riverside for several years. He recently had a stroke that left him temporarily disabled. Before this medical condition happened, he made several repairs to the exterior of the home and began painting the home himself. But he ran out of paint and was unable to complete the project due to his condition. Also, his fixed income is now mostly used to pay for his therapy and doctors’ visits.

Alex, the RCC Spectrum’s group leader and his fellow students showed up at 8:30am to paint the home. Charles’s home does not have any skirting around the sides. As a result, it made it easier for this small group of volunteers to paint. The volunteers went through a safety orientation and a quick painting 101 lesson as well as a morning devotion before they split into 2 groups to take care of the long sides of the home. Cory, a member of Habitat for Humanity Riverside staff and participant of the Veteran Training Program helped Alex work on the front of the home. This type of home does not require a lot of ladder work so everyone stayed on the ground or used extension poles to get to the high areas.

The group worked well together throughout the morning. However,  some of the students left to go to their next class while others to their jobs. Steve, Charles’s son who is recently unemployed helped too. Later, Charles helped for a while but we made sure it was the safest and easiest area to paint.

The RCC students finished by 12:30 and Charles loved the new look of his home. He truly appreciated the work of the students from RCC. Charles took a picture with the group and then it was time for students to get back to school.

A big thank you goes out to the RCC Spectrum group. You tackled a big project for Charles. Thank you!