Shreveport Paints Its Heart Out

Every year in late Spring, volunteers gather early on a Saturday morning, paint brushes in hand, and begin painting the houses of the elderly and disabled in Shreveport. This year marked the 12^th anniversary of Paint Your Heart Out Shreveport. Coordinated by the city's Community Development Division, no one knows better than Marcia Nelson the amount of work that goes into planning and implementing the annual Paint Your Heart Out event. Ms. Nelson has been overseeing this event since 1995. Her work begins in September - securing funds, organizing volunteers, setting up inspections, and determining the number and location of homes to be painted.

Ms. Grace Collins, whose house had not been painted in 22 years, was one of the 50 lucky homeowners selected to benefit from the program this year. Workers replaced rotten wood and caulked before applying a fresh coat of paint to Ms. Collins' home. "I felt totally refreshed after seeing the new paint job. I could never have afforded to have my home painted myself," she said. Funded primarily with CDBG funds, Paint Your Heart Out helps the elderly and disabled remain in their own homes and puts warm feelings in the hearts of many volunteers, knowing they have provided a needed and valuable community service.