We were thrilled to sponsor the University Area Community Development Corporation’s eleventh annual Paint the Town event to honor and celebrate the legacy and service of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On Saturday, January 14, over 200 volunteers from around Tampa Bay came together to complete 21 different beautification projects to demonstrate care for residents in the communities surrounding the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus.

Grow’s Paint the Town Volunteers

It was incredible to see our team members’ great interest and turnout to support Paint the Town. Khenh Vong, Web Application Developer and Chair of the Grow Financial Foundation, spearheaded our involvement in this event as part of our Grow the Greater Good initiative. She expressed her thanks for the support of so many individuals on the Grow team. Vong said, “We loved to see a strong turnout from all teams at Grow, which helped us represent and be ambassadors for our mission: we serve people, not profit.” More than 40 Grow team members spent the day serving on a variety of projects, including painting a resident’s home, distributing new mulch around Harvest Hope Park, planting vegetables and herbs in the Harvest Hope Community Garden and painting the floor at Mort Park Rec Center.

Phillip Jarvis, Manager of Purchasing and Asset Management, said, “The National Day of Service is a call to action to give back through serving others — in conjunction with honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and recognizing the value of community.” He and his team cleared trash and debris to improve a local resident’s property.

David Haight, AVP of Application Development Core Operations, was happy to spend his free time giving back to the community. He and his team worked on improving a local playground, which will benefit the kids and their families who frequent the facility. Haight shared, “I’ve always enjoyed participating in past Paint the Town events, helping families have yards and homes they’re proud of. I liked the event, even more, this year because we worked collectively to improve a section of town to the benefit of residents and community members alike.”

Through each beautification project, volunteers hoped to strengthen community ties and bolster neighborhood pride among area residents. Thank you to all the volunteers who made the event possible through your time and service.

About University Area CDC

University Area Community Development Corporation, Inc. (University Area CDC) is a nonprofit public/private partnership whose stated mission is “children and family development, crime prevention and commerce growth.” The primary focus is the revitalization and sustainability of the at-risk areas surrounding the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus. Learn more about the University Area CDC.

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