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The St. Ignatius Project was the first project by the Rye YMCA’s new program, Togetherhood Community Service, which engages Y members in projects that benefit the community. An airplane pilot and a tug boat operator were among the 15 volunteers who spent the day painting the stairwells of St. Ignatius Middle School in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx. The tuition-free school serves nearly 70 children in the poorest congressional district in the country.
The volunteers were supervised by paintmaster Nat Gidron from A.G. Williams.
“The group I worked with really had their hearts in helping the school, but they had no real experience with painting and that’s where A.G. Williams came in,” Gidron said. “We enjoy doing stuff like this as a company because it helps us give back to the community.”
?Stu Reis, Rye YMCA member and co-chair of the St. Ignatius Project, ? said Gidron was a wonderful addition to the team and made the day go “extremely easy and efficient.”
“Nat was at the school before I got there, setting up drop cloths, etc. and getting some other early-arrivers organized and painting. He jumped in himself to do some painting when we screwed up and even made some quick repairs to a wall that was in bad shape. Everyone loved him,” Reis said.
Reis said leftover paint and supplies were donated to the school for future use.
“While not an earth-shattering event, we did our small part to help a group break the cycle of poverty that exists for these kids,” Reis said.
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