Before even one lick of paint had gone on the walls, staff at the Single Parent Resource Centre of Victoria were bubbling with excitement.Bob Fuchs and his team at Saanich-based White Knight Painting donated their expertise Friday to give the centre a makeover, valued at $3,000. Benjamin Moore Pacific Paint Centre in Saanich donated $700 in paint to the project.Without such help, the centre wouldn’t have been able to afford to spruce up its walls.“The money we have to spend on this takes away money we spend on programs and services,” said Liz Bloomfield, the centre’s executive director. “It’s a real gift.”The organization, which has had 1,000 single-parent families become members in the past two years, was one of five nominations Fuchs considered for his third annual charity makeover. It was a letter written by Helen Taylor of Soroptimist International of Greater Victoria that made the difference.“You could tell somebody put a lot of time and effort and thought into it,” Fuchs said. The three-day makeover freshened up the same red and gold colours in several rooms of the 1886 brick house on Gorge Road, including a boardroom used for life-skills classes, the foyer, a donation-sorting space and a room where parents pick out donated clothing.“It’ll be glowing,” Bloomfield noted.Fuchs first launched the initiative out of a desire to boost the spirits of people facing challenges. “I think it feels good to be in a fresh, clean space,” he said.Past makeover recipients include the Cridge Centre’s long-term care facility for people living with brain injuries, and the Cridge Transition House for Women. “It’s not just about the painting, it’s also about community spirit,” Bloomfield said. “Single parents know they’re supported and the community cares about them.”emccracken@vicnews.com
