Life sciences volunteers paint a perfect picture of helping others

Dozens of volunteers from Arizona State University’s School of Life Sciences are using brushes to make a beautiful mark on their community – paintbrushes, that is.

Students, faculty and staff members gathered bright and early on Oct. 26 to participate in the annual Rock-n-Roll Paint-a-Thon. The event is put on through Rebuilding Together, a national nonprofit that rehabilitates homes for low-income homeowners. Every year, volunteers bring supplies and paint a home in need of fixing up. This year’s house belonged to The Centers for Habilitation, a group home for Valley residents with disabilities.

The paint-a-thon has been a School of Life Sciences staple since 2006, but this year’s event took place on “National Make a Difference Day” – the nation’s largest day of community service. For 20 years, USA WEEKEND magazine and the volunteer organization Points of Light have collaborated to bring this event to neighborhoods and neighbors in need.

The paint-a-thon creates a great bonding experience for students, faculty and staff, according to Louie Schoettle, a graduate student in ASU’s Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology.

“I think it is great that the School of Life Sciences organized this event, and I hope they set up more in the future,” Schoettle said. “I think it’s really important that the school offers its members the opportunity to get outside the lab once and a while ­– and being able to help someone out while we’re doing it just makes the experience that much better.”