THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 18, 1996 TAG: 9602160212
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUSAN W. SMITH, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
Chesapeake Mayor William E. Ward and Norfolk Mayor Paul D. Fraim have declared April 27 as ``Paint Day'' for their cities.
The two mayors joined forces Tuesday to kick off the annual ``Paint Your Heart Out'' home-improvement project.
The event sponsored by the Rotary Club uses thousands of volunteers and donated materials to clean up and repair the homes of low-income, elderly homeowners.
``We are delighted to have the Rotary Club of Norfolk again join us in a project that has been so beneficial for the community and so personally rewarding for those of us participating,'' said Steve Best, assistant fire chief of Chesapeake and the 1996 Chairman of ``Paint Your Heart Out Chesapeake.''
Homeowners must be 62 years old or older, reside in their home and have a combined household income of less that $12,000 to be eligible for assistance. Handicapped homeowners also are considered.
For a fifth straight year, Chesapeake Scouts, civic clubs, businesses, military personnel, churches and citizen groups will don work clothes, gather paint brushes, hoist ladders and haul debris in the neighborhood spruce-up project.
Master Gardener clubs also join in to trim shrubs, plant flowers and mulch gardens to beautify the landscaping of the chosen homes.
More than 100 homes have been painted and repaired since the first Chesapeake event in 1992. Last year, Norfolk Rotary clubs adopted the project and repaired three homes. This year's project includes a face lift plan for 25 homes in Chesapeake and ten homes in Norfolk.
The five organizing Rotary Clubs are the Chesapeake Rotary Club, Rotary Club of Norfolk, Great Bridge Rotary Club, Northside Rotary Club and the Sunrise Rotary Club.
Other organizations joining in to help are The United Jewish Federation, which is undertaking three houses, and the African-American Jewish Coalition. MEMO: More information about Paint Your Heart Out Chesapeake is available by
calling 436-0293. Contributions may be mailed to P.O. Box 15598,
Chesapeake, Va. 23328.
by CNB