A Brush With Kindness

What is A Brush With Kindness?             
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Valspar created the vision and is the driving force behind an innovative Habitat for Humanity program named A Brush with Kindness.  Otsego-Antrim Habitat for Humanity offers "A Brush With Kindness" program. The program consists of multi-day projects of painting, planting, or doing light “fix-up” work in our community.  Habitat partners with residents to improve the appearance of their neighborhood, strengthening connections within the community and helping to preserve affordable housing stock. This allows residents to continue to live in safe, decent homes, with pride and dignity. Since 2015, the program has served 9 households in the Otsego and Antrim County areas.

Otsego County families may apply for an opportunity to be selected for a project in the spring of each year. They volunteer on the Brush of Kindness project (sweat-equity) and repay a portion of cost of materials on a sliding scale and ability.

A Brush with Kindness would not be possible without the generous support of Valspar Paints, our volunteers and contractors. 

In 2016, our project in Otsego County was in the future neighborhood of Habitat House #23. We offered several different homeowners assistance with yard work, hauling items away, and minor outdoor repairs to their homes. 

One particular household received additional work through a week-long youth volunteer project. This homeowner joined the volunteers in painting the exterior of the house, garage and shed. The large living room window was replaced, the front door and storm door replaced, deadbolt locks replace and a major face lift on the yard was performed.  

We are grateful in particular to the Boyne Catholic Community Youth Group who volunteered an entire week. Everyone was full of energy! We touched a total of four homes while the group was volunteering with us for the week.

How does the program work? 

• Habitat selects partner families based on income, need and willingness to partner.
• Habitat affiliates use volunteer labor and donated materials to keep costs low and take no profit for their services.
• A no-interest loan is made to the homeowner to cover the cost of the project. Payments are placed in a revolving fund to help A Brush with Kindness serve others in need.
• Homeowner must show proof of ownership (name on deed), property taxes up to date, mortgage payments up to date, have a current homeowners insurance policy in place and show proof of income.
• This program would not be possible without the generosity of Val-spar, the co-founder and underwriter of the A Brush with Kindness program.

Why does Habitat for Humanity offer these exterior maintenance services?

• Families live in safe and well-maintained homes.
• Neighborhoods are revitalized.
• Community connections are made.
• Affordable housing inventory is preserved.