PPG (NYSE:PPG) today announced the completion of a COLORFUL COMMUNITIES® project in collaboration with Heart of America to revitalize the Lester H. White Boys & Girls Club of Broward County in Florida. The project brought together nearly 100 of PPG’s top global leaders, who spent a portion of their annual global leadership meeting making a difference in the lives of the club’s students and staff.
The club offers after-school and summer programs to more than 200 students to support academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles.
The PPG Foundation also provided a grant to the Lester H. White Club to support educational science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) activities.
The employee volunteers beautified and painted the club’s game room, music room, entrance, hallways and a variety of outdoor spaces with a mix of neutral and vibrant PPG colors including Sugar Soap (PPG1084-1), Blue Blood (PPG1034-6), Misty Surf (PPG1034-4), Fuzzy Navel (PPG1197-7) and more. Local artist Constance McKnight also created an uplifting mural in the club’s entryway with the help of the volunteers. Incorporating motivational messaging shared by PPG’s social media followers, the mural aims to inspire hope and resiliency for all who enter the space.
As part of the project, Ben Sorensen, Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner, and Ryan Thomas, community outreach director, Fort Lauderdale, District 4, presented PPG with a Proclamation to mark the club’s transformation.
“What a memorable impact PPG and Heart of America has made for our members at the Lester H. White Boys & Girls Club! This partnership and project represent a new beginning and a fresh start to a brand-new year at the club and we are excited about the club’s transformation,” said Tiara Reid, program manager, Boys & Girls Club of Broward County. “Our members will have a more modern and inviting space to learn, grow and play.”
During the Colorful Communities project, PPG volunteers also participated in activities such as building bikes and assembling STEM kits for the club’s students.
“PPG understands that color can enhance learning and create spaces where students feel comfortable and encouraged,” said Malesia Dunn, executive director, corporate global social responsibility and PPG Foundation. “At a time when students and the world are seeking resiliency and hope, our leaders aimed to create welcoming new spaces, infusing the Boys & Girls Club with a fresh palette of colors to foster creativity, collaboration and engagement.”
For this project, PPG teamed up with Heart of America, which is an education equity nonprofit organization that transforms learning spaces, bridges the resource gap, and strengthens communities to give all students room to learn, discover and thrive.
“At Heart of America, we believe every student deserves an inspiring space, equipped with the right resources, to learn and thrive. And behind that belief is a deep commitment to collaboration with our partners to bring this dream into reality,” said Jill Heath, president and CEO of Heart of America. “With the people power of more than one hundred volunteers, this project brings the global community together to celebrate and support the powerful work this club and its young learners are doing every day.”
“We are truly blessed to have PPG and Heart of America modernize our club to give our members a renewed space to learn and play. From the new look of the club, the science kits, the bicycles, the school supplies and more, PPG and Heart of America have not only transformed the club, but have transformed so many minds and hearts,” said Andreana Holliman, director, Boys & Girls Club of Broward County.
