Painting as service; Darby medical center extends MLK Day of Service to spruce up facility

DARBY, Pa. - Martin Luther King Day has come and gone, but one Delaware County group wanted to continue its “Day of Service” into the weekend.

Employees, their families and friends spruced up the first floor of Mercy Catholic Medical Center Saturday.

A disc jockey and lots of smiles.

“The weather was a little rainy, but everyone has so much energy and excitement,” exclaimed Joana Plazas, Service Excellence Leader of Mercy Catholic Medical Center.

And, it sounded like a fun party, but a party of a different kind…a painting party.

Painting as service at Mercy Catholic Medical Center in Darby.

“We take a day of service to just paint, paint, paint. Whatever we need to do to make the hallways beautiful for our patients and our families,” Linda Purnell, Patient Advocate of Mercy Catholic Medical Center, explained.

The very employees the public sees behind office doors and greeting and treating patients at Mercy Catholic Medical Center in Darby joined family members and friends. They got their hands dirty Saturday on the center’s first floor and the bridge that connects the three main buildings.

The magic of a little paint does wonders.

Painting as service at Mercy Catholic Medical Center in Darby.

“This is an area that a lot of our patients walk through. The cafeteria is right down the hall. Families are coming through this area. It was really in need of sprucing up. That old wallpaper needed to come down and to see it look this fresh and new, it’s just wonderful,” explained Trina Abla, Chief Medical Officer with Mercy Catholic Medical Center.

“We were looking and we were like, ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t know how we’re going to get all of this done!’ but, so many people have come out. It has just been amazing,” exclaimed Christopher Cullom, President of Mercy Catholic.

Painting as service at Mercy Catholic Medical Center in Darby.

The work was a part of a belated Martin Luther King Day of Service. Mercy Catholic Medical Center President Collum says it’s also a part of a new campaign the hospital recently launched.

“It’s really centered around service. Service to patients, service to ourselves and service to our communities. So, this is service to ourselves,” President Cullom added.

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