NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — For many people with kind hearts, Monday presented a special opportunity to work together and create a mural. The reason why they made it is sure to make you smile.
"He's Noah!" said a 6-year-old pointing to his friend.
"He's Jacob!" a 7-year-old said pointing back.
They're first graders, buds from school. They chatted while painting a wall. Suddenly, someone else seemed to be asking all the questions.
"What you staring at?" Jacob asked.
"You!" I answered, capturing a video of Jacob and Noah hard at work painting.
"Why you staring at me?"
"Cause you're painting."
"And why am I painting?"
Well, about that. Noah and Jacob's families brought them to work around a bunch of other volunteers from the community.
"Noah, I literally actually think we're gonna be on the news!" Jacob smiled.
Could be.
This mural they were working on will be in the community room of a new housing development for Our Place Nashville.
"We provide the opportunity for affordable housing for adults with developmental disabilities," said Jordan Collins of Our Place Nashville. "So, you have an IDD, maybe autism, down syndrome, we create opportunities for them to live in inclusive housing with people who don't have disabilities and be a community and live and eat and work and play together."
"It's like a game of Twister," laughed muralist Andee Rudloff, watching the crowd of people all with paintbrushes. "People who don't know each other when they get here, know each other when they're leaving."
Andee designed the mural with references to art created by the residents and to the sort of classes they take.
"We have some musical instruments here 'cause we have musical therapy classes," said one resident.
"I'm painting on the wall!" Jacob announced as he and Noah laughed.
"Oh, that's probably not usually allowed," I said.
"We're just doin' it because we want to! We wanna get in trouble from our parents!"
Well, that's not exactly true. Their families wanted them here to experience art and see what can be done when a community works together.
"Create something bigger than themselves," Andee said. "It's just a beautiful and wonderful experience."
The new housing units will be opening in the spring, and when residents come in for games, movie nights, and classes, they're going to see what Noah and Jacob helped paint.
Nice job, guys.
For more on Our Place Nashville, visit here.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
In this time of NIL deals and transfer portals, this is a refreshing story about the best of college athletics. A must watch for all young athletes with big dreams. I already showed my boys, and I can tell you Jack has some new fans!
-Carrie Sharp
