September morn, the 10th, 2014, we had our A Brush with Kindness volunteer event painting a mobile home in Riverside. Our volunteers were UCR International Students from Japan who traveled halfway around the world to experience America through the performance of community service. During their four-week stay, these international students are supporting our community by working with local non-profits like Habitat for Humanity Riverside, homeless shelters, and other organizations. As one student admitted to us, A Brush with Kindness was their most enjoyable outreach event! The job started at eight a.m. with two UCR caravans delivering the volunteers to the site, which was prepped and ready for painting by Habitat members Daniel and Joseph. After a quick introduction and an explanation and demonstration of job tasks, the group was divided and given their paint, rollers, and brushes.
One student commented that they do not have mobile homes in Japan, so being in a mobile home park was a new experience for her and most of the students. She also thought that this mobile home park was the only one. I told her that Habitat for Humanity Riverside works with many mobile home parks in the area. That Habitat for Humanity Riverside offers many services to low income and vulnerable households. Having come to America to participate in community service, I felt that everyone there appreciated and respected the necessity of the services we were providing.
The fresh coat of paint was very transformative to the home, giving it a nice, clean visage. We painted until noon, leaving the homeowner happy with our work. This was the first of two volunteer events that Habitat for Humanity Riverside will host with these international students and we hope that these experiences will stick with them when they go home; fond memories of September mornings in Riverside, helping our community.
