The client services rooms at Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care in downtown Kent received a fresh coat of paint as part of a Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties program.
Since 2003, the Bellevue-based homebuilders’ group has painted hundreds of thousands of square feet for various service organizations through its Painting a Better Tomorrow community stewardship program, according to a Nov. 7 press release.
The one-day event Nov. 5 brought 42 Masters Builders Association members and community volunteers together to paint the inside of the clinic, 325 W. Gowe St.
“Frequently, the first maintenance item to be removed off an operational budget is painting, so many of our recipients have gone years without this much-needed improvement,” said Jerry Hall, interim executive director of the Masters Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties. “The Painting a Better Tomorrow program allows us to give back to the community by helping create a welcoming space for the communities that they serve.”
It certainly saved the nonprofit money.
“The rough financial value of the work done was about $5,673 with Sherwin Williams donating 30 gallons of paint towards the project,” said Stephanie Giralmo, spokesperson for the Masters Builders Association, in an email.
Masters Builders Association also donated $820 to Valley Cities for its art therapy groups, which included paint supplies, markers, crayons, canvases and other needed items.
Giralmo said the 42 volunteers donated about 168 hours towards painting the clinic. She said the cost to hire a team of eight professional painters for this project for six hours would be about $2,640.
Valley Cities provides case management, vocational training, housing support, peer support, crisis support and a wide variety of other support services to meet the unique needs of each person. Valley Cities serves more than 20,000 people each year through intensive behavioral health care, counseling and support services at its 10 outpatient clinics, two inpatient detox centers and one Cohen Military Family Clinic.
“It’s important to make our clients feel like our space is welcoming, soothing, and calming so they feel safe enough to access care,” said Jessica Forshee, Kent clinic manager. “That’s exactly why we looked for programs and grants to create spaces of belonging.”
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A crew prepares the inside of the Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care clinic in Kent for painting. COURTESY PHOTO, Masters Builders Association
