UAW–Ford volunteers for seniors in Chicago at Nathalie Salmon House
Throughout the year, H.O.M.E. welcomes volunteer groups and individuals for seasonal and ongoing projects as well as one-time volunteer opportunities.
On September 22nd, UAW-Ford was having meetings in Chicago. As part of their corporate social responsibility program, a group of over 50 employees led by Jeff Hall painted the interior walls of Nathalie Salmon House (NSH).
Not only did the group provide tremendous labor that would have cost us thousands of dollars if we had hired professional painters, but they also supplied their own painting supplies—all we had to purchase was the paint we wanted on the walls!
Thanks to the hard work of Jeff, Mike, our Volunteer Coordinator, Jim, our Property Manager, and Oscar, our Building Engineer, the big project ran smoothly and was a huge success. Thanks to the work of the UAW-Ford volunteers, our senior residents have a brighter and warmer building to call home.
At 8:30 on the 22nd a huge bus pulled up next to NSH and over 50 volunteers wearing bright orange tee shirts arrived looking happy and ready for work.
I was very impressed by how well they were organized. All the materials needed had been distributed to each floor and there were written descriptions posted to explain exactly what needed to be done.
UAW had coffee and donuts for everyone and we all gathered in the Community Room. I welcomed them and told them about the mission and programs H.O.M.E. provides for low-income seniors in Chicago. Along with their captain, the volunteers were divided into four groups and headed off to an assigned floor.
The next two hours were kind of a blur. As I visited each floor, the halls were bustling with painters working quickly.
I think it took less than an hour to paint the entire community room. By 10:30 the painting and general cleanup was completed.
There were some group photos, conversations with several residents and then in addition to the painting UAW-Ford gave gift bags for all the residents and took up a collection of more than $400 to donate to H.O.M.E.!
The UAW-Ford’s public relations department got some good news coverage from:
These articles say the UAW-Ford work was valued at $10,000 but based on estimates we had from contractors for the same painting we know the value was at least double that amount. We are very grateful for the good work done by the volunteers.
This beautification project is one of the first steps in the total renovation of NSH. By the spring, it will be like our residents have a whole new home! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or on this blog to track our progress.
Are you inspired by UAW-Ford’s generosity of time and talent? Looking for community service opportunities for your company, school, or friends? We also have volunteer opportunities for groups like weatherization this fall or being a Guest Chef at Good Life Senior Residences.
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