ROCKFORD—The youth building at St. Elizabeth Catholic Community Center received a much-appreciated facelift the last week of June.

 

The center’s most recent director, Terri Hill, applied for a grant in May 2021 from the Painters District Council Number 30, a labor union representing construction workers in the finishing industry. 

 

Hill was connected to that grant process by Sandra Sigalla from Painters Local 607 who grew up in the neighborhood and was involved with St. Elizabeth Center, which began at its current location on South Main Street in 1912. 

 

Hill’s winning application read in part: “Currently, the City of Rockford is making great strides to transform the area that we are located in. Some structures have been renovated and the arts community has added many great murals. The change that we are hoping to see is the perception that we are part of the overall effort to transform this area into a more viable part of the city. We want to be recognized as a part of the renewal process offering a better and safer environment, especially for the residents who walk everywhere.”

 

The project was begun this summer in the third week of June with a power-wash of the building. Paint day was scheduled for July 25 with about 30 volunteers lined up, but it rained all that day. 

 

On July 26, about eight painters, including Sandra Sigalla, began to paint the building, including the lettering. They finished later that week, and the building now looks much brighter and cleaner. 

 

Cathy Weightman-Moore, director of Catholic Charities, which oversees the community center, expressed gratitude to the Painters Union for their much-appreciated work on this building that serves young people from ages 3-12 in Rockford.

 

She adds a “special thanks to Steve Kulovits, Director of Business Development Painters District Council No. 30, for working with the painters to get this project organized and completed!”