On Sunday, November 6, 2022, International WeLoveU Foundation volunteers of the Philadelphia chapter partnered with Councilmember Mark Squilla to paint the exterior doors near the recessed area at George W. Sharswood Elementary School in South Philadelphia. The volunteers hoped that by adding a touch of fresh paint to the bleak school doors, the youth would be inspired to learn and feel pride in their school.

The WeLoveU volunteers arrived in the morning with their vehicles packed with the equipment to tackle the job. Their canvas was an old weather-beaten building that was nearly a century old. The brownstone exterior has windows donned with metal fences.

The project was to repaint the grey and faded doors where students enter every weekday. To do so, volunteers broke into teams with their focus areas. First, a group began sanding doors to remove the dry paint. Once the sanding was complete, another team began taping the doors to protect the edges and surfaces from overspray. After taking the proper steps, the final phase commenced — painting!

The doors were sprayed with a royal blue color, which surprised one of the school representatives because it perfectly matched the tables and benches in the recess area. All in all, the WeLoveU Foundation volunteers worked diligently to give the school’s exterior a makeover. Even though it was a small improvement, it was not overlooked. People walking by saw the newly painted doors and thanked the volunteers for their efforts.

The school painting project is one of many activities under WeLoveU’s education program called We Love Our Schools. The program facilitates positive learning environments for children and educators by improving school facilities and creating additional learning opportunities for students.