This article is from the Omaha World Hearald about Brush-Up- Nebraska Paint-A-Thon from 2010. Thank you Omaha World Herald and columnist Janice Gilmore for your support!

Fortunately, there are still those people who do what Jesus has commanded us to do. They reach out and help the needy, the less fortunate, and the disabled. They love their neighbor as themselves.

Brush Up Nebraska Paint-A-Thon is a community based volunteer program that paints homes for qualified low-income elderly and low-income permanently disabled homeowners through-out the Metro Area. This is an excellent example of people reaching out with love to their neighbors.

The sponsors for this 2011 event are Barnhart Press, Conagra Foods, Diamond Vogel Paints, Lincoln Financial, The Lozier Foundation, Northern Natural Gas, Tenaska, Union Pacific Railroad, and Wells Fargo Bank. There are also a multitude of agencies, churches, corporations and schools providing paint teams.

And of course there is the Board of Directors and Officers of Brush Up Nebraska Paint-A-Thon, Inc. who donates many hours to ensure this project is successful.
But, It is especially heart-warming seeing people of all walks of life, rolling up their sleeves to paint and repair the homes of those in our community that are in need. This is the 23rd year of this event and over the last 22 years 2,352 homes have been painted, there have been 78,900 volunteers, and 659,096 volunteer hours, and, 35, 040 gallons of paint used has been used!

The first day that homes were painted was in September 1989.  Now, all the homes are painted on the 3rd Saturday of August each year.  The dedication and persistence of the team captains as well as the hard work of the volunteers have made the Paint Days successful over the years.

And the people helped have been thankful and gracious extending loving comments on the jobs done.  One person so eloquently expressed her thankfulness to the volunteers in this way, “I am extremely happy with what was done with my home.  I am proud to say that it was done by such a caring organization.  The experience I had with my team of volunteers, I had never experienced before.  They are a wonderful group of kind and caring people.  I am thankful they came into my life.  The painters finished my home in the time they promised and did a great job.  Every time I look at how beautiful my home was made by you, I think how truly blessed I am that God chose such a fantastic group of people from all ages to come into my life.  May God keep all of you in his tender loving care.”

The team members expressed their appreciation for being part of this wonderful effort.  One team captain commented, “This house got the royal treatment, only because we had enough volunteers to paint and do some tree trimming and yard work.  We also were able to replace the framing on the north outside door that had rotten wood.” The sense of satisfaction by helping others is apparent when talking to the volunteers.

And what a wonderful way for people to get to know other people who may not look like them or share the same culture, religion or race.  The homeowners and volunteers are being blessed by getting to know others that they may never had met under normal circumstances. Meeting people outside of your sphere of friends and acquaintances is the first step of building bridges toward understanding each other
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Brush Up Nebraska is a Nebraska non-profit organization.  Homeowners who have a need, or know of someone they believe would be eligible for this help or people who would like to join the volunteer program or contribute in another fashion should visit the website at www.brushupnebraska.org or call Paint-A-Thon at 965-9169.
It is always a joy to celebrate those who help others by giving of their time and treasure.