St. George home gets makeover during Zions Bank Paint-A-Thon

Father and son help paint a house in Paint-a-Thon with Zions Bank, St. George, Utah, May 2014 | Photo Courtesy of Zions Bank, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Local seniors who have struggled to maintain their homes are benefiting from a fresh coat of paint and landscaping help during Zions Bank’s 24th annual Paint-a-Thon service project.

The St. George home of Ilona Petty, 73, received a makeover earlier this month from local Zions Bank employees who are trading balance sheets for brushes to support the project that benefits low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners as well as veterans.

Ilona Petty’s home before receiving a makeover from Zions Bank, St. George, Utah, May 2014 | Photo Courtesy of Zions Bank, St. George News
Ilona Petty’s home before receiving a makeover from Zions Bank, St. George, Utah, May 2014 | Photo Courtesy of Zions Bank, St. George News

More than 4,100 Zions Bank employees and their families are volunteering to clean, scrape and paint 59 homes in Idaho and Utah this summer.

This year, Zions Bank will reach a milestone when volunteers paint the 1,000th project since Paint-a-Thon community outreach began in 1991.

The average age of this year’s homeowners is 73, with an average monthly income of $1,645. Projects completed during the annual week-long event were selected with the assistance of state housing agencies, community organizations and local churches.

Zions Bank is committed to helping senior citizens remain in their homes as long as possible, maintaining their independence, dignity and health, Public Relations Officer Elizabeth Neff said in a statement Thursday.  Nearly 90 percent of people over age 65 want to stay in their home for as long as possible, and 80 percent believe their current residence is where they will always live, according to the AARP Public Policy Institute.

Ilona Petty’s home after receiving a makeover from Zions Bank, St. George, Utah, May 2014 | Photo Courtesy of Zions Bank, St. George News
Ilona Petty’s home after receiving a makeover from Zions Bank, St. George, Utah, May 2014 | Photo Courtesy of Zions Bank, St. George News

“We look forward to Paint-a-Thon every year because it’s an opportunity to help our neighbors spruce up their homes and yards when they can no longer do the job themselves,” Zions employee and Paint-a-Thon Team Captain Levi Judd said. “The project is personally rewarding, and it allows us to create value for our communities and neighborhoods.”

In addition to painting, Zions employees will provide yard clean-up, pruning, mowing, planting and minor repairs as needed by homeowners. The cost for all paint and supplies is contributed by Zions Bank.

Launched in 1991, Zions Bank’s Paint-a-Thon began as a volunteer project for a dozen homes along Utah’s Wasatch Front. Over the past 24 years, Zions Bank employees have put aside summer pastimes for a week each year — volunteering in the evenings after work and on Saturday — to paint a total of 1,000 homes throughout Idaho and Utah.  Not counting the dollar value of volunteer hours through the years, the bank has donated more than $1 million toward beautifying homes in the two states.

About Zions Bank

Zions Bank is Utah’s oldest financial institution and is the only local bank with a statewide distribution of financial centers, operating 101 full-service centers. Zions Bank also operates 26 full-service financial centers in Idaho. In addition to offering a wide range of traditional banking services, Zions Bank is also a leader in small business lending and has ranked as the No. 1 lender of U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) loans in Utah for the past 20 consecutive years. Founded in 1873, Zions Bank has been serving the communities of Utah for more than 140 years. Additional information is available at www.zionsbank.com.

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