PPG announced the completion of four COLORFUL COMMUNITIES™ projects at sites in Pittsburgh, in partnership with United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania. The Colorful Communities initiative provides PPG volunteers and products along with financial contributions to bring color and vitality to communities where the company operates around the world, and these projects brightened spaces used by more than 1,000 children combined annually.

About 60 Pittsburgh-area PPG employees and additional volunteers applied 100 gallons of PPG PAINTS™ products to coat more than 20,000 square feet of hallways and learning space at four sites served by United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania:

    YWCA Homewood-Brushton Child Development and Education Center,
    Propel Pitcairn charter school,
    Jeron X. Grayson Community Center of the Center that CARES in the Hill District, and
    Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania.

In addition to providing renovation assistance, PPG offered program grants of $10,000 to help each Pittsburgh organization enrich programming related to science, math and technology learning.

According to Sue Sloan, PPG executive director of corporate global social responsibility, “Each of these places is essential to young people, providing a setting where they can develop creativity, build self-esteem and learn responsibility.”

The Pittsburgh projects are among 30 or more that PPG plans to complete around the world in 2016 as part of its commitment to give back to communities where its employees live and work. Approximately $750,000 was budgeted for Colorful Communities projects this year, including $50,000 to refurbish and support the four Pittsburgh sites.

“We are excited to continue expanding this initiative, which brings smiles to our employees and our neighbors. The main goal is to beautify the neighborhoods we call ‘home’ by investing in them, especially where the need is great,” Sloan said. “Additionally, the projects encourage volunteerism by our employees, which builds morale and empowers them to create positive change in their communities. And because these Pittsburgh-area sites all offer after-school programs, we were able to act on our priority of supporting educational efforts by giving young people brighter, more engaging learning environments.”

United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania teamed with PPG on the Pittsburgh-area projects based on their long-standing relationship and because the Colorful Communities program fits the nonprofit organization’s goals of making communities better for everyone and addressing issues for people in need. The United Way funds programs at each of the four sites.

“Offering support to families and young people is a large part of what we do,” said United Way Chief Volunteer Engagement Officer Lois Mufuka Martin. “We know how volunteering benefits the people involved and their communities. For example, United Way’s Next Generation drive encourages millennials who want to make an impact by helping their neighbors. They know that community involvement leads to more fulfilling careers.”

Several Pittsburgh muralists worked with the nonprofit organizations to create unique murals using brightly colored PPG Paints products.

“We worked with recipient organizations to determine the best colors for their sites – we even offered PPG design experts’ services for color consultations,” Sloan said. “It’s a lot of fun for everyone involved.”

Sloan said PPG plans to invest between $50,000 and $100,000 for Colorful Communities efforts in its Pittsburgh headquarters community annually, complementing grants made through the PPG Foundation and PPG corporate support for many Pittsburgh cultural and sports organizations.

Other areas benefitting from the Colorful Communities program in 2016 are Oak Creek, Wisconsin, and Cleveland in the U.S., as well as communities in Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Korea, China, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary and Denmark.