A fresh coat of paint can be symbolic. It can represent a new beginning for a group of women on the road to living a life free of drug addiction. It is a sign of maturation in a young girl who moves from a bright pink bedroom with butterflies to a more conservative yellow featuring inspirational quotes. New paint on the walls of a children’s center can inspire, motivate, and fill lives with hope in times of grief. Paint can be powerful and full of meaning. This week, we painted with a purpose, we painted with meaning. We painted to help beautify our city and show that we can be good neighbors.
Neighborlink Fort Wayne is one of our favorite nonprofit organizations. Its mission to express God’s love through practical, neighbor-to-neighbor acts is something we strongly believe in. We strive to live our lives with purpose by looking for opportunities to make a positive impact on the lives of others each and every day. We have learned along our journey that there are no small gestures. Simple, yes. Small, no way. Every thing we do on a given day has the potential to create waves, to make an impact. That impact can be positive or negative. We know that it is completely up to us. Neighborlink recently launched a Small Events campaign to highlight simple ways that volunteers can make a difference in our community. That is why we love Neighborlink. They believe, as we do, that you do not have to change your life to change the life of another.
We participated in the Hydrants Small Things Event on Saturday. We adopted a rout within the city that consisted of fire hydrants in need of some TLC. These hydrants were rusty, discolored, and quite frankly, looked terrible. Using a wire brush, we cleaned the hydrants of all debris and chipped paint. We then painted each one bright yellow. The weather was warm and the paint was tacky. At times, we probably looked like the Despicable Me minions as we were covered in yellow paint. We completed the route of 9 hydrants in approximately three hours. It was three hours filled with great conversation, laughs, and some relatively easy work. If we wouldn’t have had a family reunion to attend that afternoon, we would have adopted a bigger route.
We have completed a large number of painting projects over the last two years. Each has been a different experience with a different meaning. Although different, they all had purpose. This week we helped to beautify our city. Yes, a newly painted fire hydrant does beautify a city. Look at the pictures. It is amazing. Our participation shows that we care. It shows that we want to be good neighbors. Are you a good neighbor? Are you willing to reach out a hand to a neighbor in need? Are you committed to making your city better? If so, get involved with Neighborlink. There are more than 270 open projects on their website that need coaches and volunteers. Sign up and take action. Your neighbors need you!
impact52.org 