ColorTyme donates home furnishings for Jim White project

WASILLA — After learning that local resident Jim White and his family of four were living in a trailer on the verge of collapse, a community effort began to improve their living conditions through the Jim White House Project.

Thanks to the help of ColorTyme, Mat-Su Home Builders Association and United Protestant Church, along with the support of numerous other local businesses and individuals, the White family recently moved into a new home just in time for winter.

Custom built with wider-than-standard doorways, the new home is adapted to accommodate special needs for a wheelchair-bound White, whose legs were amputated due to peripheral artery disease. ColorTyme furnished the home with an easily accessible washer/dryer unit and a bunk bed for White’s sons, a donation totaling $2,842.16. In addition, the ColorTyme truck collected and delivered other donations, including mattresses, tables, chairs, frames and a couch.

Karuna McMurtry, Wasilla ColorTyme store manager, is happy to have been a part of the giving effort.

“Every family deserves a safe and secure place to live, and it was encouraging to see our community come together to provide that,” she said. “I’m glad we were able to fulfill a dream for the White family and give them the items they need for their new home. It feels like we really made a difference.”

Mark Childers, owner of the ColorTyme franchise, said the project was an opportunity to extend his store’s values and be part of a greater good.

“The Jim White House Project shows firsthand that when a group of people each give a little assistance, the outcome is overwhelming,” he said. “The outpouring of community support has made it a very positive and memorable experience for everyone.”