Airmen's hearts bleed blue

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Joanna M. Kresge
  • 2d Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  Fourteen Shreveport homes were given the Air Force treatment by teams of volunteers from Barksdale as they participated in Paint Your Heart Out Shreveport June 6. 

Teams from various base organizations and Shreveport businesses were assigned a house to paint, and were judged on the home's final appearance. Paint Your Heart Out is a volunteer competition to help elderly residents of Shreveport by restoring the exterior of their homes. 

"Paint Your Heart Out gives us the chance to come out and help individuals who have worked hard all their lives - people who have dedicated their lives to their jobs and to raising their children and sometimes their grandchildren," said Mayor of Shreveport Cedric Glover. "These individuals still own and love their home, but have difficulty keeping it up to the kind of shape they would like. It gives us a chance to be able to help them get their home into the condition that may be more in line with what they remember at an earlier time in their lives." 

More than 40 volunteers from 2d Force Support Squadron and 26th Operational Weather Squadron gathered on the lawn of home owner Earnestine Ford with paint brushes and buckets in tow. 

"When we first got here we divided the volunteers up and created a landscaping crew and a painting crew," said Master Sgt. Christopher Phillips, 2d FSS non-commissioned officer in charge of honor guard. "The paint crew went through spraying the house and hand painting the trim, and the landscaping crew planted new flowers, pulled up the existing foliage and took it away." 

The paint and the brushes were provided by PYHO, but the volunteers brought some of their own equipment such as power washers, paint sprayers and lawn mowers to help the cause. Also, the two squadron's volunteers raised more than $250 to purchase flowers, mulch and additional gardening equipment. 

"We just want to make the house look as good as it can for the home owner," said Sergeant Phillips. 

Airmen worked on the house throughout the morning and shortly after lunch had a surprise visit from the Mayor of Shreveport. Mayor Glover took the time to talk to the home owner as well as the Airmen to thank them for their time and dedication. 

"I am extremely excited to have the Airmen from Barksdale out here today," said Mayor Glover. "The Airmen not only have a heart for service, but a commitment to excellence because of the job they do everyday, and they bring that same commitment out here. The people who have their homes assigned to a Barksdale unit are extra lucky because there is an additional benefit to getting the Air Force treatment." 

Mayor Glover was not the only one to address the Airmen about their hard work, Mrs. Ford expressed her appreciation to the Airmen as well. 

"I think this is wonderful having these Airmen come out here," said Mrs. Ford. "Being in the military and taking the time to come here to help me is lovely. Nobody has ever done something like this for me before." 

PYHO is held annually in the spring, more information on upcoming PYHO opportunities will be posted at www.barksdale.af.mil.