
President & CEO Inland Empire United Way
It’s astounding what a group of residents can do with some paint and paint brushes.
Last month, 300 volunteers showed up on a Saturday morning determined to beautify Alcott Elementary School in Pomona.
The school was built decades ago and was in great need of a major splash of color to liven up its bland brick walls.
With 96 percent of students on the free or reduced lunch program, this is a school of families struggling to make ends meet and to provide the best for their children.
United Way’s goal was take a giant step by creating a campus environment that instills hope, hard work, and success in its students. As School Board Member Roberta Perlman stated, “School climate makes a huge difference in student success.”
Volunteers
were organized into 10 teams, each with a volunteer project leader and a
distinct assignment for the day. Nine murals were completed throughout
the campus, reflecting the school’s values and mascot, reinforcing the
importance of reading, science and technology, and reminding students
that they are on a path toward higher education and the career of their
dreams.
The
entire playground was lit up in bright colors to inspire kids to move
and play. Hopscotch, four square, tetherball, and basketball courts of
plain concrete were covered in blues, yellows, reds and greens.
Monday morning, 900 students returned to their school and found a new campus.
It
was the same buildings and same people, but a new energy permeated
Alcott Elementary. As volunteers toured the finished product, students
clapped and cheered, waving ‘thank you’ signs. As one student said, “Our
playground looks like a rainbow now.”
When
I asked the Principal, Juan Arretche, what he thought of the completed
artwork, his response was simple. “The word that comes to mind is
‘transformed.’ This campus has truly been transformed for our students.”
Gerdau,
US Bank, the Hope Reigns Foundation, AMLI, Molina, and UPS were a few
of companies that helped to make the project possible. It was one day of
sweat equity that will pay significant dividends to Pomona students for
years to come.
To find upcoming volunteer opportunities, visit ieVolunteers.org.