Changing the world with paint

The Global Paint story is in the rundown to air on CNN btwn 12:30p-2pm show with anchor Suzanne Malveaux..I get you the link in case you miss it.. you all for your supports.. God bless!!

National Association of Asian American Professionals - Atlanta Member Spotlight Member: Rony Delgarde

NAAAP Member Spotlight Member: Rony Delgarde Meet our July NAAAP Member Spotlight Rony Delgarde. Rony comes to us with an extensive educational background beginning in his native country, Haiti, and most recently received his MBA from Strayer University. Rony is the Founder and the current President of Global Paint for Charity, a non-profit organization that collects and donates paint to developing countries like Kenya, Mexico, Ghana and Haiti. Rony recently became a NAAAP member but has been attending NAAAP Atlanta events for three years. He most enjoys the networking events where he can connect with business professionals and corporate leaders and appreciates that each member, regardless of their cultural background, is encouraged to pursue their interests and learn from one another in a positive and respectful atmosphere. In additon to his work with his own charity, Rony is also involved with other organizations including CARE International, United Way, Habitat for Humanity, The World Affairs Council of Atlanta and The Gwinnett Public School's Community Program. His next big project will take him to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea from August 20-25th to renovate an orphanage center and a basketball court for 800 orphans in Malabo. Rony would like to invite everyone to attend the N3 July event and help GPC reach their goal to recycle 20,000 gallons of paint in order to continue their work in Haiti. Please bring your leftover paint and recycle them to beautify under-served communities for those affected by the earthquake that killed over 200,000 people and left million others homeless in the country since 2010. For more information, or if you would like to get involved please visit www.globalpaints.org or like GPC on facebook www.facebook.com/globalpaints . Interesting Member Fact: Rony had lived in three different countries and speaks four languages. Through his work with Global Paint for Charity, he has traveled to 18 different countries and he considers himself a citizen of the World. I think we can all agree with that! Be sure to come out to our next NAAAP Atlanta event to meet other members like Rony! Unlike · · Share You, Luther Laveaux, Angie Rodriguez and 7 others like this. 3 shares Dahna M. Chandler Awesome! Congratulations, Rony! July 16 at 10:54pm · Unlike · 1 Ron Saikowski Sharp Dresser! July 16 at 11:13pm · Unlike · 1 Dahna M. Chandler Yes, he is, isn't he? I thought this was Usher Raymond for a minute! July 16 at 11:18pm · Unlike · 1 Rony Delgarde WOW.. I really feel the adrenaline reading this...I don't think I deserve the spotlight. This is an incredible honor!! Thank you so much for your support. My sincere appreciation to all of you at NAAAP-Atlanta.....:)!! Thank you..... July 17 at 11:20am · Like

Join Us for a Great Cause!

The Global Paint for Charity and the National Association of Asian American Professionals of Atlanta would like to ask you to join us for a great cause on Thursday, July 19, 2012 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Andrews Entertainment District. Help us reach our goal of 20,000 gallons of paint & Global Paint for Charity to continue our work in HAITI...! These paint donations are intended to contribute to the efforts of rebuilding of the country. WHERE Andrews Entertainment District 56 East Andrews Drive, Atlanta, GA 30305 Atlanta's premier hospitality destination for great cocktails and lively entertainment centralized in the heart of Buckhead. Enjoy complimentary appetizers, inspired music, desserts, drinks (open bar), dancing, door prizes, and of course, donate for a great cause, network with fellow professionals and make new friends at this neighborhood hot spot! Complimentary valet parking available. A man’s trash is another man’s treasure! Please, bring your leftover paints and help us recycle them to beautify under-served communities in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and other areas affected by the most recent natural disasters. If you can’t make it but would like to make a donation please visit www.globalpaints.org or contact us at info@globalpaints.org. Paint Collection (limit 20 one-gallon cans per donor; dried-up and oil paint is acceptable)! RSVP The event will be hosted by our partner NAAAP-Atlanta. For more information about attending, please contact Ashley Mack (ashley.mack@naaapatlanta.org) or Rony Delgarde (info@globalpaints.org). Please download the flyer to view more details about this event or visit http://www.naaapatlanta.org/Events/tabid/2093/vw/3/itemid/2853/d/20120719/Default.aspx Once again thank you for the support and we can’t wait to see everyone soon!

Charity Paints Progress Globally

Friday, September 7, 2012 More items for Maintenance + Renovation

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“Changing lives and protecting the environment, one gallon of paint at a time.”
That’s the mission of Global Paint for Charity, an Atlanta-based volunteer group that is dedicated to recycling discarded and unwanted paint in the U.S., reprocessing it, and distributing it to refurbish homes and communities in developing countries around the world.

Photos: Global Paint for Charity

Global Paint for Charity, founded by Rony Delgarde, ships up to 500 gallons of paint at a time to seaports in Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Haiti, Cambodia and Mexico.

In just over two years, the organization has sent up to 500 gallons of paint at a time to seaports in Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Haiti, Cambodia and Mexico. The group has organized numerous paint-collection drives and has many more in the pipeline.
The organization’s work has also led to partnerships with the Salvation Army, Goodwill, The Home Depot, Sherwin-Williams and waste management agencies in the Atlanta area.

Transforming Communities
For Global Paint founder Rony Delgarde, a Haitian immigrant, the vision is “to give others in developing countries a home and community they can be proud of.”
“When I left the political chaos and economic trials in Haiti 10 years ago with only $5 and a Holy Bible in my pocket, I knew it would be my life's work to improve the lives of those less fortunate around the world,” Delgarde says on his website.
“I've learned over the years that the most gratifying way to give back is to be anonymous and selfless. It is the way that all of us can help our fellow citizens of the world.
“And the Global Paint for Charity was created to do just that.”
The organization’s mission is to “change lives, transform communities, and protect the environment one gallon of paint at a time.”

Seeking ‘Any Can, Gallon and Bucket’
Delgarde says the group needs a “good amount of paint” to stay afloat.
“On average, it takes about 2,000 gallons of half- or ¾-full containers of leftover paint to get 300 to 500 gallons of good or better paint,” he said.
Thus, Global Paint will “happily take any can, gallon and bucket containers of latex or oil paint, regardless of the amount, the age or the condition.”
Once the paints are donated, they are screened by volunteers for undesirable particles; sorted by similar characteristics, colors, and types; and then blended into a final product.
The paint is then shipped to regions in Africa, Caribbean and Central America with the assistance of various non-profits, church groups, and corporate partners, Delgarde said.

The organization processes donations to help paint hospitals, schools, churches and prisons in developing countries.

Donated paint that cannot be used is disposed of, but all of the containers, metal or plastic, are recycled and kept out of landfills, Delgarde said.

'Nothing Left to Spend on Paint'
For the recipients, the donated paint fulfills a critical need.
In some countries served by the organization, vegetables and fruits are often used to make an ersatz “paint” because people can’t afford to buy commercial-quality products.
“Over 2.5 billion people live on less than $2 a day,” Delgarde said. “For them, paint is very expensive. When making consumption choices that involve spending money on basic needs, there is nothing left to spend on paint.
“People are already starving, so they should not have to use their food resources to beautify their homes and communities.”
The U.N. Human Settlements Program estimates that more than 1.6 billion residents of developing countries are living with substandard homes, unpainted schools, refugee camps or prisons, and hospitals with dirt walls and lack of sanitation.

A fresh coat of paint on walls, roofs and floors not only brightens a structure’s appearance and lifts the spirit of the community; it can also protect exteriors and interiors from heavy bacterial objects, virus, diseases and temperature changes, experts say.

Future Plans
Global Paint hopes to find more organizations and corporations to help address the paint shortage in developing countries.
Said Delgarde: “If we can partner with more organizations, we’ll be more efficient and more sustainable with what we’re doing,”
To learn more about Global Paint for Charity, visit www.globalpaints.org or email info@globalpaints.org.

119 years old? It's been a remarkable life journey for my Great Grandfather, Vilius Vilsaint.

At 75, he fathered his 20th child. At 103 he left his native Haiti and resettled in South Florida. And now at 119, the twice-widowed, retired vegetable farmer -- a man who has 185 grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. Naturally, age has slowed Vilsaint. He walks with the assistance of a cane. His eyesight is blurred. And some events in his life are faint memories. But the Haitian emigrant, who lives in Fort Lauderdale with one of his 10 daughters, has defied great odds. If world health organizations are to be believed, Vilsaint is blessed. Born and reared in Port-de-Paix, Haiti, he has doubled the life expectancy -- 53 years -- for Haitians. That's among the lowest life expectancy rates in the world, and certainly the lowest in the Western Hemisphere. Surviving Haiti is by no means easy. Persistent political strife, economic hardships and sobering health issues are but a few things that challenge Haitians. The relentless hardships on the island forces hundreds to take to the sea and to place their lives in the hands of fate. According to the Pan American Health Organization, Haiti's infant mortality rate is 80 deaths per 1,000 births compared to 5.3 deaths per 1,000 in Canada. So if Vilsaint is as old as he claims, he has nicely trounced the odds. He was born on Aug. 13, 1893, when Grover Cleveland held the White House, and Florvil Hyppolite the Haitian presidential palace. As proof of his age, Vilsaint holds a Haitian passport. To get one, he had to produce his birth certificate, said Haitian officials in the United States and Haiti. Vilsaint credits his longevity and vitality on a herbal bush tea he drank periodically, to his strong belief in God, and to good genes. His father, he said, lived to 110. His mother, to 100. He hopes to live as long as his father, but if not, he said he's accepted the unavoidable. ''I'm more than prepared,'' Vilsaint said recently in Creole. ``Jesus could come get me now. I'm ready.'' A deeply religious man, Vilsaint has memorized the Bible, and takes joy in reciting scriptures. ''If I hadn't kept God I would have been gone a long time [ago],'' he said, advising his sons, daughters, grandchildren, and others to ''Keep God'' in their lives. For Vilsaint, life's been long, and by no means easy. He had to make do with $500 a year to clothe, feed and educate his brood. Like his father, he became a farmer, cultivating yams, potatoes, plantains, bananas, and tending livestock. What the family didn't eat was sold. Vilsaint left Haiti for Cuba for nearly two years to harvest sugar cane. He recalled that the field was run by Fidel Castro's father, Angel Castro. He remembered seeing the future Cuban dictator, then a young boy, hanging around the sugar cane fields, having fun while his father managed the field workers. FIRST MARRIAGE When Vilsaint returned to Haiti, he met and married Anastasie Telisma. During their 25-year marriage, they produced 10 children. Like his handshake, he was firm, said his daughter, Hermantilde Saintil, 65, of Fort Lauderdale, who now takes care of him. At 53, Telisma -- the first love of his life -- died. Vilsaint was left to raise his 10 children alone. In 1949, he took another trip to the altar, marrying Merceila Azar. With Azar he had another 10 children. Between the two women, Vilsaint had 10 boys and 10 girls. Azar died five years ago in Haiti, at 71. Four of the children he had with his first wife have also died. Today, 16 children remain, seven in South Florida, and nine in Haiti. Vilsaint had his first child at age 27. The youngest is his son, Willy, 32, and the oldest is Vilina, 80. Both are in Haiti. Vilsaint said he wakes up at 5 a.m. most mornings, and doesn't go to bed until 10 p.m. He doesn't speak English, so his days are spent listening to the radio, and taking walks in the neighborhood. He used to enjoy watching television, but his vision has gradually grown weak. He has checked with doctors, but not much can be done for blindness caused by old age, he said he has been told. But he enjoys the company of his children and grandchildren. Asked if he has a favorite among the grandchildren, he smiles the widest smile yet, revealing no teeth. Then he declines to answer. ''I don't want to make any of them feel jealous,'' he said, through his son, Josue Vilsaint, 52, a baker by trade. His daughter Hermantilde and son Josue laugh, because they say they all know that he does have a favorite among the bunch. That would be Hermantilde's daughter, Guerline, 34, because she showers him with affection. Of his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, 99 including his grand-daughter Solange Vildor's Son, Rony Delgarde, 40, live in the United States, and 95 in Haiti. On Sunday afternoons after church, the family gathers in Hermantilde's home. Then, Vilsaint feasts on his favorite food, chicken and rice. In Haiti, he grew up eating foods he grew organically, Josue Vilsaint said. MOVE TO FLORIDA Vilius Vilsaint got his first taste of South Florida in 1990, coming by plane and returning to Haiti three months later. He came back to Florida in 1991 for nine months. The South Florida branch of the family decided this was the best place for him at this time in his life. So in 1998, he boarded a plane for the permanent move to Fort Lauderdale. He likes the Sunshine State, but misses Haiti at times. Rutha Vilsaint, 11, one of his granddaughters, said she likes having him here. ''He's usually outside,'' she said. ``He talks to me and asks me about school.'' A sixth-grader at Parkway Middle School in Fort Lauderdale, Rutha speaks Creole with her grandfather. Her brother, Amos Vilsaint, 19, a Fort Lauderdale's Dillard High senior, said he gets a kick out of having a grandfather who is 107 and spunky. ''If he can live to see my kids I would be happy,'' Amos Vilsaint said. ``I would be joyous.

Global Paint for Charity

The Global Paint for Charity is a non-profit organization dedicated to effectively recycling leftover paint nationwide, reprocess it & distribute it to vulnerable individuals and families in developing countries around the world for global housing rehabilitation projects including schools, hospitals, jails, churches, or local cultural education and entrepreneurship. Get Involved, visit www.globalpaints.org
Rony Delgarde Founder www.globalpaints.org

Celebrate Earth Day in Gwinnett County!

Come celebrate Earth Day with the Global Paint for Charity and the Gwinnett County Solid Waste Division on Saturday, April 14 from noon to 2:00pm at Coolray Field, home of the Gwinnett Braves. This free event will feature paper shredding, household battery and paint collection (limit 5 one-gallon cans per vehicle; dried-up paint is acceptable) kids' activities, and more!

Calling all volunteers!
Looking for some volunteer service hours? Volunteer with us during the Earth Day event. Volunteers will be assigned to serve from 11:00am to 3:00pm. Visit www.globalpaints.org or www.volunteergwinnett.net to sign up as a volunteer for this event.

Thank you
Rony Delgarde