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Edwina Fung spent much of Wednesday making good use of knee pads, kneeling on the floor of the Open Door Shelter, and she enjoyed it. "It's the exercise I haven't had all year long," Fung said as she took a break from marking floor tiles to be cut.
Fung was one of about 80 Diageo employees who spent the day transforming Norwalk's residence for 200 homeless people. They painted it inside and out, and then put down laminate flooring in the dining room and much of the hallways.
"This is awesome," said new director Bill Okwuosa, who is working to transform the personality and direction of the shelter. "I really have no words to explain this. This is good timing. The physiological change is in sync with our vision: It's a new place, the new face, the new Open Door Shelter. It's bright, it's beautiful, it's welcoming. And for the most part, the theme of what they're doing, which is a teamwork, shows that we are allowing people to come into the Open Door Shelter to collaborate with us."
Diageo has been a partner with the shelter, he said. The company paid for the materials and bought 187 subs from Bella Vita deli, which were served for lunch to the shelter's clientele at Calvary Baptist Church while renovations were under way.
Employees said they enjoyed getting out of the office to do good. "It's a far cry from the work I usually do, but it's well worth it," said John Gumane, an accountant who was cutting tiles.
"It's amazing, I'm besides myself," said Okwuosa. "I'm so grateful."
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