The Observer newspapers in western Wayne County ran two nice articles about the Wayne County Family Center last Sunday, one about Angela Pilarski and her goals as the center’s new director and the other about a homeless family living at the center.

The Wayne County Family Center in Westland has been chosen to participate in a program called Color Care Across America, designed to brighten the lives of the homeless. The program, a collaboration of The U.S. Conference of Mayors, Benjamin Moore Paints, and the Paint and Decorating Contractors of America, will transform 51 shelters in 50 days. Using paint from Benjamin Moore, volunteer painting contractors will paint up to 10,000 square feet at the centers – one each in every state and Washington, D.C. – between September 19 and Thanksgiving. They’ll also leave enough paint for the centers themselves to freshen up other areas. At Wayne County Family Center, volunteers will paint the hallways, continuing a year-long redecorating project that has updated the look of the family rooms and common areas. Westland’s mayor, William Wild, nominated the center for the program. “We were very pleased when Mayor Wild’s office contacted us and asked if we wanted to apply,” said Carol Eddy, center director. “This was in early spring, and I had actually forgotten about it, so I was thrilled to receive notification that we had been selected as the only shelter in Michigan for this program.”