Donor Spotlight: Keyonda Noel

This year Keyonda Noel became the Chairman of the Paint Love Board of Directors. Noel first joined the Paint Love team as a donor in 2014, when her colleague, Paint Love co-founder Aaron McKevitt, told her about his wife Julie’s idea for the nonprofit.

Since then, Noel has found a simple way to work donations into her everyday life: “I enjoy couponing and looking for super sales, so it was more from a standpoint of giving funds and donating materials,” says Noel. “As I look for things for my home, I’ve added Paint Love to that list.” Noel is the web manager at Gwinnett Medical Center, but she dedicates her extra time to furthering the Paint Love mission.

 For Noel, passion for the Paint Love mission is second nature. “People spend 5 bucks on a Starbucks coffee. That same 5 bucks can buy an easel and change a kid’s life so I think it’s worthwhile, I really do. Whether it’s your time, your money, your talents, I definitely think that [donating to Paint Love] is something you should do,” says Noel.

As a mother, Noel recognizes the importance of art to a child’s sensory and motor development. Paint Love donors open the door to this crucial development for children who may love art but don’t have the materials to do it.

“Keyonda is an invaluable member of the Paint Love team,” says Paint Love founder Julie McKevitt. “She donates her time, skills and energy to Paint Love and we are so thankful for everything Keyonda and all of our donors do for us.”

Noel is optimistic about the future of Paint Love, saying that she sees a multitude of wonderful, generous donations that will help the team to build key partnerships, grow and expand. Her ultimate dream is for Paint Love to become a national nonprofit, extending the model that Julie McKevitt has designed to spread to other states and areas that are in need.