A team of volunteers has put their painting skills to the test and transformed the inside of MercyCare’s Wembley youth accommodation service, Carlow House, in one day.
The 30 volunteers from the WA branch of Deloitte worked hard to paint every room in the house as part of a transformation project on Friday, 20 November.
Carlow House is MercyCare’s 24-hour supported-youth accommodation service for people aged 16-19 who have either been homeless or are at risk of homelessness because of family breakdown and other traumas.
Accommodation Coordinator Tess Lau said Carlow House allowed young people to live in a safe, supported environment while they also learned life skills that could help them transition to independent living and either jobs or study.
“It’s really important to provide a homely space that is pleasant, warm, inviting and nurturing,” she said.
“A fresh coat of paint to help achieve this will greatly impact on the well-being and self-esteem of the young people who live here.
“The young people get to see volunteers give their time to make this environment better, and this is a strong message that says ‘we care’ and ‘you deserve this’,” she said.
“This transformation project will help brighten up the house and give the residents a place they can be proud to live in.”
MercyCare Chief Executive Officer Chris Hall said it was fantastic to have corporate partners who were willing to donate their time and energy to help out.
“MercyCare is dedicated to breaking cycles of significant disadvantage and Carlow House is a very important part of this mission,” he said.
“We really want to thank the Deloitte staff for volunteering their time and Perotts Paint for donating the paint.”
Mike Lynn from Deloitte said, as part of the company’s annual Impact Day, staff were given the time to volunteer for different projects across Perth.
“It allows our people to directly connect with the community, creating an impact that matters,” he said.
“We have a long history of involvement with MercyCare as our staff passionately relate to its mission of breaking cycles of significant disadvantage.
“Assisting with Carlow House facilitates a pathway to transform the passion into action.”