The Lawrenceville Boys & Girls Club (also known as “The Ville”) teamed up with Office Depot for a special Depot Day of Service.
On Saturday, April 30, approximately 60 Office Depot volunteers supported the Gwinnett County Club with outdoor beautification efforts that included repainting the front parking lot lines, filling garden beds with herbs, veggies and fruit, spreading mulch over the playground, filling sand pits with new sand, painting a mural on the outside back wall, and organizing & decluttering the gym storage closet.
“This day of service is a wonderful experience for the kids,” said Ayita Louifils, Lawrenceville Boys & Girls Club art instructor. “When they get back [on Monday] they’ll be surprised about the playground being done and them having a better playground to play on, giving them a new experience to truly enjoy being outside.”
Lawrenceville Boys & Girls Club Executive Director Rory Johnson was especially excited about the organization and decluttering of the gym storage closet known as “the cage,” which has become the designated drop zone for donations such as chairs, bikes, and supplies.
“I’m ecstatic and happy that Office Depot is lending their services: their talent, their treasures, and their sweat equity to help us glorify and beautify our Club and also getting it organized back here,” Johnson said. “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this wonderful day of service.”
The impact of the beautification efforts reaches beyond the Lawrenceville Boys & Girls Club. The day following the Depot Day of Service, Johnson was astonished to see a local family enjoying the newly beautified space.
“On Sunday, after I had attended service, I went by the Club to just check out the grounds,” he said. “To my surprise, there was a family there having a meal at the picnic table and enjoying the playground area. They expressed how beautiful everything looks along with the inspiring mural message and how safe they felt just being there. Office Depot, I say thank you for all of the wonderful work that the Office Depot & Depot Difference Team difference team did for the Lawrenceville Club.”
The beautification initiative at Lawrenceville Club is part of a larger $250,000 donation to Boys & Girls Clubs of America to support kids and teens across the country. Now through May 7, Clubs and Office Depot will team up to bring enhancements to various communities and Boys & Girls Clubs around the country.
It’s all about “giving the kids a great place that’s inspiring and beautiful and fun and safe to learn in,” said Karen Fortune, Gwinnett County board member. This “is just going to make a big difference not only to our kids now but our future leaders.”
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