The morning started cloudy but the afternoon sun came in hot. Although the weather was a bit rough, this was no obstacle to another great A Brush with Kindness project in the city of Riverside. This ABWK was held in a very well maintained mobile home park; however, the home that was scheduled to be painted sure needed a fresh new look to its exterior. Our affiliate Habitat for Humanity Riverside has complete several ABWK projects in the park and like our other ABWK projects, our volunteers never gave up or complained about the weather or the tasks at hand. Our volunteers worked hard and enjoyed their time at the site. On Saturday June 28^th we had nine volunteers, our project coordinator and an AmeriCorps National member on the site. Seven of the volunteers were from New Beginnings Church and the other two were from Corona Presbyterian Church. Both churches were available to work on that Saturday so we brought them together knowing that they carried a greater spiritual bond and would unify together for this project.

Our homeowner Pauline, a single mother with 2 daughters, currently works for the Riverside school district. The park management cited her home to be painted and Habitat was contacted afterwards. The home was painted about 8 years ago and showed fading on the sides exposed to the sun. On some areas of the home it looked as if someone tried to repaint the areas with a different shade of paint. From the street the home looked okay, which is prevalent with ABWK projects; nevertheless, with closer examination the entire home needed painting.

We were very fortunate this morning because most of the volunteers have been on several ABWK projects and if it was their first, they at least had some painting and construction experience. After the safety talk and Morning Prayer, the volunteers began with a fervor that continued throughout the paint day. Some got on ladders and painted the high peaks while other painted behind electrical and plumbing systems. Others painted the bottom of the exterior walls while others painted the trim. After four and a half hours of committed work we were finished. Pauline the homeowner walked around her home and was filled with joy and gladness. All the volunteers were ecstatic to be a part of her life and Pauline was glad that they helped her in a wonderful way. Paint is just a liquid put on to cover walls but it can also impact lives and invoke appreciation and happiness.