Colorful Remedies founder and President Greg Flaherty recently led a team of Colorful Remedies employees who donated three days of their home remodeling expertise to the OCNJ C.A.R.E. Project in the wake of the extensive damage caused by "Superstorm Sandy."

"I've spent every summer of my life in Ocean City, New Jersey and was really disturbed by the amazing pictures I saw during the storm. It was clear folks in town would need lots of help in the days following the storm and everyone at Colorful Remedies talked about how fortunate we all are. The decision to join the volunteer recovery effort was an easy one," Flaherty explained.

Colorful Remedies worked with OCNJ C.A.R.E – the not-for-profit organization established by St. Peter's United Methodist Church and other community / business organizations based in Ocean City. Immediately following the storm, OCNJ C.A.R.E. began coordinating the volunteer efforts of hundreds of caring people who have contributed their time and talents to prepare and serve meals, assist with the initial clean up of homes and businesses throughout Ocean City, and begin the long and often complicated process of rebuilding houses where some residents have lived for more than 40 years.

Colorful Remedies' recovery team, which in addition to Greg Flaherty included Dan Reitz, Ryan O'Donnell and David Flaherty, assisted year-round homeowners who have limited financial resources and little or no flood insurance needed to cover the cost of the expensive rehab work required before they can return to their homes. The Colorful Remedies employees focused most of their efforts on removing wet drywall and plaster from the walls of homes that had been filled with ocean water ranging in height from six inches to three feet. In one case Arlene, who lives in a hundred-year- old house in the center of Ocean City, talked about coming down the steps to the ground floor of her home at the height of the storm and wading through three feet of water in rooms that she had just recently renovated. In all, the Colorful Remedies team filled nearly 100 heavy duty 35 gallon trash bags with debris pulled from the homes of people who were very glad to receive assistance.

Following Colorful Remedies' volunteer efforts, Brian Roberts, Senior Pastor at St. Peter's United Methodist Church and Co-Chair of the OCNJ C.A.R.E. Project, thanked the Colorful Remedies employees noting, "The historic record levels of water impacted homes, business and churches that have never had water issues before. Your being on site helped the healing and recovery process. We're learning a new lesson that "no man or woman is an island. Thanks again for a remedy that was colored with care."

THE ROAD TO RECOVERY IN OCEAN CITY WILL BE A LONG ONE AND

MANY RESIDENTS WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR ASSISTANCE.

The cost of helping hundreds of financially challenged Ocean City residents and senior citizens return to their homes in the coming weeks will be significant. If you would like to join Colorful Remedies in supporting the OCNJ C.A.R.E. Project you can do so by making a much needed monetary donation of any size. For more info on the scope of the services being provided by the OCNJ C.A.R.E. Project and how to make a contribution, please visit the official website at www.ocnjcare.org

      It was a beautiful day to cook and enjoy chili in downtown West Chester. The West Chester Rotary's 10th Annual Chili Cook-Off took place on Sunday afternoon, October 14 and attracted thousands of hungry chili aficionados who were searching for excellence.    

     The Colorful Remedies' master chefs arrived at our tent on East Gay Street at 7:30 a.m. and jumped into action immediately to begin the preparation of 20 gallons of crowd pleasing and award winning chili.

     Our enthusiastic team had a great time serving chili, collecting wooden nickels, and interacting with many of the chili tasting experts who strolled along Gay Street. The highly secretive recipe for our signature, thick and tangy, "We've Got The Remedy Chili" won First Place in the 2009 Chili Cook-Off's Business Category, and our team was eager to serve up another award-winning batch this year.

     More than 70 teams divided into four different categories prepared chili with the hopes of being crowned a winner. The competition was stiff, but "We've Got the Remedy Chili" did not disappoint. Many of the chili tasting experts on the street declared our chili was the best they had all day with good reason, because Colorful Remedies won 3rd Place in the Business Category! Our team was very happy to be recognized and it was a perfect way to end a great event.

     Colorful Remedies has competed in the past four Chili Cook-Offs and company Founder and President Greg Flaherty had this to say about the 2012 event, "Our continuing participation in the West Chester Rotary Club's Chili Cook-Off is an ideal example of Colorful Remedies' ongoing commitment to supporting organizations and events that focus on improving the lives of people living in the greater West Chester area and beyond."

      Colorful Remedies recently put its commitment to helping keep notable buildings and homes throughout the Chester County area looking their best into action at the K-Mart, located in the West Goshen Shopping Center on Paoli Pike. K-Mart has been a local favorite for almost anything consumers need for nearly 50 years, and the Colorful Remedies team was called on to rejuvenate the store’s exterior with a fresh paint application. As a local, West Chester-based company, Colorful Remedies was excited to complete the work and give the store a clean and refreshed look.

     Completing the exterior maintenance of the K-Mart building was no small task. Colorful Remedies rented an articulating aerial man lift, capable of extending to about 60 feet in the air, in order to reach all areas of the building’s front stucco siding. Before any painting was done, power washing was required to remove the mold and rust build-up that occurred over the years. A rust neutralizing product was applied to problematic areas to prevent the stain from showing through the paint that was applied next. Once the stucco siding was ready for paint, a high-quality product from Sherwin-Williams was used to ensure long lasting protection from the elements.

     As always, the Colorful Remedies employees who performed the painting made sure safety was a priority. The team wore OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) approved harnesses and hard hats to make certain there was little chance for injury. In addition, Colorful Remedies worked hard to finish the project in an efficient / timely manner (just two days) and minimize any inconvenience for the high volume of shoppers who frequent the shopping center.

On one hand, it seems a waste to paint your home right before you move out of it. After all, why go to all that trouble and expense if you won't get to enjoy the benefits? But on the other hand, will painting increase the value of your home so that you can sell it for more? The answer to that question is a clear and resounding YES!

Market studies consistently show that repainting your home produces a 140% return on investment. This means that spending $5,000 on a paint job is likely to increase the selling price of your house by $7,000, which is a profit of $2,000. Not only does it increase your sale price, but it also boosts your likelihood of selling at all. In our current housing market, selling is difficult because buyers are few. Making sure that your home is freshly painted will increase its attractiveness to realtors and buyers. 

Some additional tips for consideration if you are planning to sell your home: 

• Spend the money to do the job well. Since you stand to profit from the investment, pay what it takes to have the highest-quality materials, and hire a contractor who will leave your house in truly spectacular condition.
• Use neutral colors. Many homeowners enjoy neutral tones such as browns, beiges, and varying light shades of green and gray. White is always a great choice for the trim. Even if the colors are not the favorite choices of the prospective buyer, he or she is likely to be impressed by the clean, stylish look, and is unlikely to be turned off.

Hire a professional painting company who has established a reputation for reliability, responsiveness and flawless results. You can request to have a Senior Project Manager review your home and prepare a free estimate by clicking here!

 Article written A. Allbright Painting, paintquality.com

Gray skies and a cold misty rain failed to deter the enthusiastic Colorful Remedies runners who participated in the annual fund raising 5K Run / Walk to help fight MS staged at the East Goshen Park in West Chester, PA on Sunday morning April 22.

The Colorful Remedies runners organized by the company's Marketing Director Dan Flaherty included Senior Project Manager Dan Reitz and Operations Coordinator David Flaherty.

"The MS 5K was a great event in every respect and provided Colorful Remedies with an excellent opportunity to join with hundreds of other West Chester area residents in the fight against MS.," noted Dan Flaherty. In addition to sponsoring three runners, Colorful Remedies made a financial contribution to the Greater Delaware Valley Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

As a locally headquartered company, Colorful Remedies understands the crucial importance of actively supporting organizations that are devoted to improving the lives of the people living in the communities where it does business. "Our participation in events such as the MS 5K is a visible example of Colorful Remedies' ongoing commitment to helping people who are tackling a wide range of serious health, social, and economic challenges in the greater West Chester area and beyond," added Flaherty.

Based on the success of its MS 5K debut, Colorful Remedies already plans to return to the 2013 event with a larger team of employees, as well as customers and friends who are eager to help assist the more than 13,000 Delaware Valley residents who are living with MS.