- Volunteers with Project Houseworks’ annual Brush Up event painted and refreshed 25 homes across Douglas and Sarpy counties.
- 3 News Now anchor Mary Nelson and Grace Hill Church’s Brady Betten say the effort goes beyond paint—boosting pride and connection across neighborhoods.
- Volunteers emphasized that while fresh coats brighten homes, the real takeaway is building relationships and showing up for one another.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
On Saturday, several familiar faces from our station joined neighbors in giving homes a refreshed look with just a few coats of paint.
Saturday marked Brush Up, Project Houseworks’ annual fundraising and volunteer event.
“And the whole point is neighborhood pride…” said Mary Nelson, anchor at 3 News Now.
With so many helpers, paint went up quickly. Nelson, who served as the station’s unofficial team leader, said it’s not just one house that benefits from a day like this.
“If you’ve got neighbors that are willing to jump in and help as we are, then it’s not just about the homeowners that live here—which it does, when you pull up into your drive and see your house has been loved on, that’s a good feeling—but also for the neighborhood to feel like it’s getting an infusion,” Nelson said.
This year’s project focused on improving the exteriors of 25 homes across Douglas and Sarpy counties.
Among the volunteers was a team led by Brady Betten of Grace Hill Church. This was his fifth Brush Up.
“When we can interact with one another in a positive and be there to help one another, from a church perspective… I think that’s what God intended for us—to serve one another, to be there to help,” Betten said.
He added that while the painting is memorable, what he values most goes beyond the brush strokes.
“I just enjoy kind of getting to know them on a deeper level, through those conversations as we prepare for the event and then on the day of, getting to say hi and spending a little time with them is pretty cool,” Betten said.
By mid-afternoon Saturday, volunteers had completed the transformations—highlighting the importance of not only beautifying neighborhoods but also showing up for one another.
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