Two homeless men and six single mothers are among the 20 people slated to graduate from the Sherwin-Williams Home Work Program at 9:30 a.m. Friday in Meeting Room 8 of the New River Center Exhibition Hall.

Mayor Melvin “Kip” Holden said the program is a partnership between the City Parish and Sherwin-Williams that provides opportunities to people by teaching them commercial painting skills. “The program gives single mothers an opportunity for advancement and also a way to pay their bills so they can get out of the cycle that many of them have found themselves in over the course of several years,” Holden said. "The program also provides an opportunity for homeless people to get back on their feet", the Mayor said.

“Anytime you can mainstream them (the homeless) back into the setting that many of them were used to before they fell on hard times, it’s quite significant in terms of building up their confidence level. Many of them have just given up hope,” Holden said.



The diverse class also includes youngsters looking for a skill so they can earn a paycheck, according to Tom Norman of Sherwin-Williams, coordinator of the program. This class even includes a husband and wife, he said. Norman said students who complete the program receive certification as painters, and equipment to start their own painting business. .



There is no cost to the participants, who also receive a free breakfast and lunch each day as part of the program.



Public Works Director Pete Newkirk said much of the class is devoted to hands-on painting projects that help the students develop painting skills. This particular class spent much of their time painting the DPW Central Garage, while the two previous East Baton Rouge classes honed their skills by painting the stairwells in the Governmental Building, Newkirk said. “The first day, most of them do a pretty good job. But by the last day, they do a phenomenal job,” Newkirk said.



Mayor Holden said the East Baton Rouge program was established through discussions between himself and Sherwin-Williams executives at meetings of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Norman said Baton Rouge is the only city in Louisiana to participate in the program. In all, Sherwin-Williams held 52 classes in 29 cities this year.



This is the third Home Work Program in East Baton Rouge Parish this years, and plans call for additional classes to be held here next year, Norman said..



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