When the village of Abbey, Sask., needed to repaint its century-old church in short order, the community rallied and showed what small-town spirit can do.

Built in 1918, Abbey’s church was in dire need of an exterior facelift. With the village’s 110th birthday and homecoming celebration only weeks away, community members sprang into action. But where would the paint come from?

Todd Larmour, Pioneer Co-op team member, suggested to church staff the Communities in Full Colour program. Communities in Full Colour is designed to provide community organizations with free paint to be used towards local improvements. Pioneer Co-op responded, donating 10 gallons of paint, with the rest being supplied by area residents.

Paint prep began on the church on July 1. Thanks to the efforts of community members, the project was completed in eight days – nearly two weeks ahead of the village’s homecoming celebration over the July 21 – 23 weekend. In the true spirit of community partnership, people helped whenever and wherever they could – whether it was a few spare minutes on their lunch break, or over several hours scraping, painting and even cooking to feed the crew.

The results speak for themselves, and everyone from Abbey agrees the church has never looked better. The Communities in Full Colour program helped kickstart the restoration, and the volunteers who donated their time and equipment carried it through to completion.

If you know of a local project in your community that could benefit from the Communities in Full Colour program, please apply now.