PPG announced the completion of a COLORFUL COMMUNITIES^® project at the Union Rescue Mission’s (URM) Hope Gardens Family Center. This transitional housing campus in Sylmar, California, offers sanctuary to single women and children who are experiencing homelessness, as well as permanent supportive housing for senior women. The project brought together more than 140 employee volunteers from PPG’s aerospace business, who spent the day painting several highly used areas around the facility and landscaping the campus grounds.

The Colorful Communities program provides PPG volunteers and paint products along with financial contributions to bring color and vitality to communities where the company operates around the world, such as in Sylmar, where PPG has an aerospace facility.

“At the Union Rescue Mission, we believe no child should be raised on the streets of Skid Row,” said Reverend Andy Bales, CEO, Union Rescue Mission. “Due to economic circumstances, illness and abuse, more mothers and children are forced to live in unimaginable conditions. We created our Hope Gardens Family Center for women and children to have a safe place to live while they receive counseling, training, encouragement and the real help they need to escape homelessness forever.”

Hope Gardens helps women transition from homelessness to independence within 12 to 36 months by offering long-term rehabilitation programs, services and spiritual care.

PPG provided approximately 45 gallons (170 liters) of PPG PAINTS™ products to complete the revitalization project. This is the second year that employee volunteers from PPG’s aerospace business completed a Colorful Communities project to help beautify the center’s 71-acre campus. PPG was also recognized at URM’s 10^th annual Hearts for Hope Gala with the 2018 Heart of Transformation Award, which is given to a company that has made a life-changing impact for women and children living at URM’s Hope Gardens Family Center.

“PPG is excited to once again partner with this great local organization to share hope through the transformative power of paint and color with women and children experiencing homelessness right here in a community where we operate,” said Tim Behmlander, PPG general manager, aerospace, Americas.

The Colorful Communities program, PPG’s signature initiative for supporting communities, aims to protect and beautify the neighborhoods where PPG operates around the world. Through the Colorful Communities program, PPG’s committed volunteers contribute their time and PPG paint products to help transform community assets – from painting classrooms, to bringing color to a maternity ward and redesigning a playground. Since 2015, PPG has completed more than 235 Colorful Communities projects, impacting more than 5.3 million people in 36 countries.

PPG’s global community engagement efforts and the PPG Foundation aim to bring color and brightness to PPG communities around the world. We invested more than $9 million in 2018, supporting hundreds of organizations across 28 countries. By investing in educational opportunities, we help grow today’s skilled workforce and develop tomorrow’s innovators in fields related to coatings and manufacturing. Plus, we empower PPG employees to multiply their impact for causes that are important to them by supporting their volunteer efforts and charitable giving. Learn more at www.ppgcommunities.com.

By PPG