STUART, FL - The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Treasure Coast chapter held a Community Service Day on Saturday, September 26. Five area professionals gave of their time to paint rooms at the Samaritan Center for Young Boys and Families Lou Hampton School on Cove Road in Stuart.

Gigi Suntum, Executive Director of Caring Children, Clothing Children, coordinated the day's event for the AFP chapter. Other 'painters' involved were: Amy Christensen, Development Manager, Historical Society of Martin County; Louise Murtaugh, Executive Director, Molly's House; Glenna Parris, Chief Development Officer, Treasure Coast Hospice; and Louise Sikorski, Auclair and Company. Cecil McLeod, Director of Operations and David Lloyd-Jones, school headmaster, were Samaritan Center staff on hand to direct and assist the volunteers in the community service fun day.

The Samaritan Center is a Christian, residential, early-intervention program founded forty years ago to provide family love, education, and discipline to behavior challenged young boys and their families. The project, submitted by Millie Wood, Community Relations Director at the Samaritan Center, was chosen by the AFP group from among several applications for this community service day.

"The Lou Hampton School building is the original Mariner Sands development sales office. Mr. Hampton, then a resident of Mariner Sands and school volunteer at our Center, was successful in having the building donated and moved in 1999 to its current location on our campus. For his efforts on our behalf, the school was named in his honor," says Dr. McLeod. The double wide manufactured home provides a building for the private education component of the Samaritan Center's mission. After 10 years of service the interior was in dire need of painting to create a more pleasant and refreshed learning environment for the boys

AFP Treasurer Coast chapter is working to complete components for a national 10-Star award. The Chapter Ten Star Award honors those chapters who have accomplished many key objectives. The award encourages chapters to perform specific activities designed to increase professionalism within fundraising and public awareness of the importance of philanthropy. www.afptreasurecoast.org

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) represents more than 30,000 members in 206 chapters throughout the world, working to advance philanthropy through advocacy, research, education and certification programs. The association fosters development and growth of fundraising professionals and promotes high ethical standards in the fundraising profession.