Photo Gallery: Paint-a-Thon Helps Residents For 24 Years

Dean Ortmann has lived in the same house in Wheeling for 36 of his 66 years. Ortmann, who has cataracts and mobility problems, said volunteers in a local community service project, Paint-a-Thon, were a big help to him.

“It’s a situation where you can’t do that type of work anymore, painting and going up 18 feet and painting,” Ortmann said.

Ortmann's home was among 16 recipients of the hard work of 400 volunteers and several businesses.

The annual Paint-a-Thon is a one-day effort to spruce up properties of local residents.

Earlier:

Tom Newby, of Valspar Paint in Chicago, has coordinated the local Paint-a-Thon for 24 years. He said it takes a year to plan.

Newby joined the volunteers at Ortmann’s home in Wheeling, fixing and painting the 66-year-old's much-used porch chair.

“I had an old chair in front of my house on the porch," Ortmann said.

While called the Paint-a-Thon, many of the volunteers take it upon themselves to clear overgrown plants, make repairs, and even plant bulbs for the spring at their designated home.

“It’s like the old-fashioned barn raiser," said Annette Sommer of HandsOn Chicago. "They stick with it every year. It’s such a good feeling for them."

Newby attributed the program's success to a joint effort with Catholic Charities and HandsOn Suburban Chicago, based in Arlington Heights.

Cindy Gunderson of Catholic Charities reviews the applications and helps select the most qualified, limited to an annual household income of less than $36,000.

“These people who make less than that really need it," Newby said.

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