Strokes Painting & Contracting awards Paint it Forward project to Project Mona’s House
Two other nonprofits surprised with community investment
A celebration of Western New York’s most impactful construction and development projects became a celebration of community giving on the evening of July 29, as Strokes Painting & Contracting announced the winner of its inaugural Paint it Forward initiative during the Buffalo Business First Brick by Brick Awards at The Admiral Room.
Following an evening of voting by more than 300 developers, architects, engineers, contractors, property owners and business leaders, Project Mona’s House was selected out of three local nonprofits to receive a complimentary $2,000 commercial painting project to help refresh and revitalize the interior of Project Mona's House, a two-year restoration home for survivors of human trafficking and exploitation.
The Paint it Forward initiative was created by Strokes Painting & Contracting as a way to give back to the community that has supported its growth. As a woman-owned business, Strokes Painting believes that investing in organizations that uplift women and girls strengthens our entire community.
“Our hope is that this painting giveaway will help Project Mona’s House create a more comfortable, peaceful and dignified home for the women they serve,” said Danielle Bickel, owner of Strokes Painting & Contracting.
The three featured nonprofit organizations included:
- Project Mona’s House, Western New York’s first and only restoration home dedicated exclusively to adult women who have been victimized by human trafficking, exploitation and other forms of trauma.
- Haven House, a program of Child & Family Services, which equips survivors of domestic violence with the tools and resources to build violence-free lives.
- Girl Scouts of Western New York, which builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.
In the days leading up to the event, the Strokes Painting team came to a realization, “As we learned more about each organization’s mission and how they planned to use the $2,000, it became clear to us how deserving each organization truly is,” said Bickel. “Each of these nonprofits is making an extraordinary difference in the lives of people throughout our community. We simply couldn’t let two of them leave empty-handed.”
Immediately following the announcement of the grand prize winner, Strokes surprised attendees by announcing that the two runners-up, Haven House and Girl Scouts of WNY, would also each receive support in the form of a $700 painting credit to be used toward future painting projects at their facilities.
The Paint it Forward initiative was presented in partnership with Buffalo Business First during its annual Brick by Brick event, which recognizes the projects, companies and professionals shaping the future of commercial real estate, construction and development throughout Western New York.
