Giving Back — Pulte paints residences at Carolina Youth Development Center

One thing that contractors are pretty good at is construction-related activities. So it was a natural fit for a national builder to refurbish homes.

And in this case, the work is for charity.

Pulte Group signed up to repaint and otherwise manicure residences at Carolina Youth Development Center, a facility that provides shelter and counseling for abused, neglected and runaway youth.

Most of the labor took place Wednesday.

The company got word about the program through a center board member, says Sara Maniccia, sales manager.

“They needed some help,” she says. “Our expertise (includes) paint and general maintenance.”

About 40 employees of the builder took part in scraping, priming and painting walls of four residences on the Carolina Youth Development Center campus in North Charleston.

“It looks good,” says Dave Abbate, a Pulte manager, while surveying the paint work late morning in the first of the dorms to be painted.

A second group was set to arrive for the afternoon efforts.

The morning crew included “all the field guys,” says Kristin Abbate, marketing manager. Sales people were to handle the later shift. Houses were painted in order by need.

Pulte had some help with its volunteer assignment. For instance, Sherwin-Williams donated the paint, Abbate says.

The painting is all exterior and includes living quarters as well as the bedrooms.

Founded as the Charleston Orphan House in 1790, Carolina Youth Development Center provides shelters for more than 150 abused, abandoned and neglected children each year.

Also, about 40 homeless and runaway youth turn to the center for shelter and counseling services each year, according to Pulte.

Michigan-based Pulte Group builds houses throughout the Charleston area including at Oak Terrace Preserve near the center.

The company merged with Centex two years ago. Pulte is also the parent of Del Webb, which has one neighborhood in the Lowcountry at Cane Bay.