Thatcher/Churchill Cool Down Roof with White Paint
Ten students from the Houses of Thatcher and Churchill rode the 4 train up to the Bronx early Sunday morning, Oct. 16th to paint a roof for a City Engagement project.
The Houses collaborated with CoolRoofs, an organization that paints NYC rooftops with a white, solar-reflective paint. With just a few coats of paint, energy bills are reduced by 20%, and the temperature of top floors is lowered 15 degrees.
“You’re actually having a fiscal impact,” City Engagement Coordinator Greg Pittman (’13) said. “I enjoyed doing the project as a team, and seeing students work together.”
The Houses painted the roof of The Concourse House, a home for women and young mothers.
“There are so many people surrounding myself in the city that have overwhelming needs,” said Thatcher’s City Engagement Coordinator Mandy Patterson ( ‘13). “It’s so easy to get wrapped up in your day-to-day activities, that sometimes you forget how important it is to serve others and do good in the city.”
CoolRoofs partners with NYC Service, a branch of City Hall. NYC Service parallels City Engagement’s mission and purpose on a city-wide level.
“I learned a lot about NYC Service during the project,” said Emily Slomski ( ‘15). “I’m hoping to get more involved in the city. I never thought about how big of an impact painting a roof could be. The project reminded me how easy community service can be, and it was really fun. We were running all over the roof with big roller brushes.”
CoolRoofs is one of many projects City Engagement has planned for this year. Each House has individual projects they work on throughout the year, as well as joint projects they complete together.
Some more notable projects include: fundraising to end sex-trafficking with Restore Safehouse, volunteering at the Bowery Mission, New Life pantry and Gems, prayer walks and homeless outreach.
“The truth is we live in a broken world, a broken culture, a broken society,” Pittman said. “By serving and bringing the Gospel and light into our community, we are ushering in the spirit of redemption.”