From paint brushes to power tools, from stencils to shovels, Keller Williams Red Day turned into something pretty incredible at Interfaith Sanctuary’s new Shelter Home.
It all started when Mary and Tracy, Realtors with Keller Williams and also a dynamic mother and daughter duo, sat down with Interfaith Sanctuary Executive Director Jodi Peterson-Stigers to talk about what kind of Red Day project the Keller Williams team could bring to life at the Shelter Home.
Keller Williams Red Day is an annual companywide day of service where agents and staff step away from real estate and spend the day giving back to their communities through volunteer projects. RED stands for Renew, Energize and Donate.
As they toured the Shelter Home, Jodi shared that while construction of the new building had been completed, funding got tight toward the end of the project and one important piece was left unfinished: the outdoor play area for families with children.
Mary and Tracy did not skip a beat.
“Show us the space,” they said. “Let’s see what we can make happen.”
And wow, did they make something happen.
A few short weeks later, with the help of their ultra organized sidekick Jill and nearly 80 volunteers, the vision came to life. Every detail had been planned out. Every volunteer had a purpose. Every crew had exactly what they needed to help transform the space.
But the project actually started two days before Red Day officially kicked off.
Artists Bobby Gaytan and Jay Smith came to the Shelter Home and painted a huge mural across the back wall that reads: “Hope Grows Here.” It set the tone for the entire project and honestly could not have been more fitting.
Then came Red Day. Signs were posted on the doors leading out to the family play area letting families know the play area would be off limits until the red day surprise project was done.
At 8am sharp, volunteers dressed in red filled the Shelter Home grounds ready to work. Crews grabbed paint brushes, stencils, shovels, tools and supply buckets that had been carefully organized for each part of the project. From there everybody just got to work.
Volunteers worked side by side building, painting, planting, cleaning and creating a space that now feels full of life for the families with children staying at Interfaith Sanctuary. What had been an unfinished outdoor area became a bright and welcoming place where kids can play, families can gather and parents can exhale for a moment.
When the work was finally done, the paint still needed 24 hours to dry, so the doors stayed closed and the kids had to wait one more day before they could run in and explore it.
And honestly, that reveal might have been the best part.
The next day, many of the Red Day volunteers came back to watch the kids see their new play area for the very first time. The joy on those little faces said everything. Parents smiled. Staff teared up. Volunteers stood back taking it all in.
It was a powerful reminder of what can happen when people show up with their time, their talents and a genuine desire to do something good for others. One paint stroke, one donation and one idea at a time, this community created something beautiful together.
Red Day projects happen all across the country every year, but this crew created something that will impact families at our Shelter Home for years to come. We are incredibly grateful to Mary, Tracy, Jill, Bobby, Jay and every single volunteer who showed up in red and helped plant a little more hope here.