Buckets for Booth House

Painters brighten bedrooms at Salvation Army shelter

Reid Mortensen rolls out a new wall color, croissant, in one of the three bedrooms painted Saturday by volunteers from Pride Inc. at the Salvation Army's Booth House in Alton.

The women's bedrooms at Booth House received a facelift after Pride Inc. board members held a painting party Saturday morning.

Three local businesses donated paint to give the rooms what Mary Perry said was "an uplifting look."

"The rooms were painted last year but kids had marked on the walls and they needed updating," said Perry, who is the monitor for the Salvation Army's emergency shelter. The shelter houses about 15 women and children and an equal number of men in the men's house.

Karen Wilson, president of Pride; Dale Neudecker, chairman of the Bucket Brigade; and two others were brushing "lilac" onto walls and painting the trim white in one room. Meanwhile, "croissant" and "blue willow" were going up in two other bedrooms.

"This was originally light purple with dark magenta woodwork and it was very dark," Wilson said. "We (Pride board members) typically paint at the end of the season, but this opportunity came along and we thought it would be perfect to kick if off."

Neudecker said the Bucket Brigade's start date is May 19 but "this is a good project to start with and will get people thinking of houses to nominate."

What was going to be a project for Perry and her brother, Nick Northway, turned into a Pride beautification effort after Northway suggested she call Neudecker.

"Nick knew that Dale was affiliated with the Bucket Brigade, so I called him to ask if they could donate some paint," Perry said. Not only was Pride able to donate 10 gallons through Sherwin Williams, they also provided labor.

"After Dale found out it was just going to be Nick and I painting, he called Calvary Baptist to see if they could help us, but they weren't able. So he said the Bucket Brigade would help," she said.

Perry also got 8 gallons of paint and primer from Roloff Decorating and 4 gallons of ceiling paint from St. Peter's Hardware.

"The community was more than willing to help with donations," she said.

Pat Schwarte was painting the walls of a staircase white. He found out about the project at an Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club meeting.

"They told me there was going to be a painting party today. I thought this was something I could do for a few hours, instead of just talking the talk," he said.

Perry and Northway had earlier painted a fourth room in "Waves of Grain."

"The room was a light pink before this. Fresh curtains will go up in the rooms and some of the broken outlets will be replaced," Perry said. "I'm going to put inspirational quotes on the walls when everything's done. I call them wall tattoos."

"It's wonderful," said one resident about the rooms being painted. "I love the yellow. I think it represents the glory of God."