Lancaster Painting is preparing to host its popular Paint it Forward charity event for the 10th year. The local company is currently accepting nominations to offer their services to community members for the first since 2019 after being forced to pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Lancaster’s Jennifer Petitt, Paint it Forward is an annual event where the company donates a paint job worth up to $10,000 to a local resident or non-profit. In previous years, Lancaster has painted residential homes in Turlock and helped paint the exterior of the new Jessica’s House location in Turlock.
“We take nominations throughout the year, most of them coming between November and December,” Petitt said. “We gather up the nominations and talk about them at our company Christmas company and our crew votes on which one they want to do.”
As the company services Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties, Lancaster holds their Paint it Forward event in the same regions.
“This is just a way to give back and to come together as a team because without our community and people using our company, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” she said.
Lancaster doesn’t take on the initiative of giving back alone, though. Petitt explained that Sherwin Williams has been a regular donor for paint while Paul’s Paint of Turlock has donated additional supplies.
“The crew guys, their family members and their kids come out for the day and paint the facility,” Petiit explained. “We start out the morning with a prayer, a donut and a coffee. We try to wrap up around noon but sometime sit goes a little later, but then we all gather together and grab lunch and hang out a bit. For the people whose facility we’re doing, whether it’s people from the non-profit or a residential owner, their families are also welcome to join in and help join in and have lunch and breakfast with us.”
The event is something that Lancaster team enthusiastically look forward to every year, especially this year after the long layoff.
“Our crew really does look forward to it every year,” Petitt said. “We just want to spread the word as much as we can so we can get nominations to help those in need. We really like to give back to what we’ve been given.”
To nominate a local resident or non-profit to be the recipient of Lancaster’s Paint it Forward initiative or to learn more about the event, head to www.lancasterpainting.com/paint-it-forward.