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DOWAGIAC — Dowagiac Union Schools classrooms will be receiving a fresh coat of paint, thanks to the efforts of Hale’s True Value Hardware.

The school district was chosen as the winner of a paint grant through Hale’s True Value Hardware with True Value Foundation’s Painting a Brighter Future program.

The hardware store, located at 56216 M-51 S., Dowagiac, announced Tuesday that it had provided Dowagiac Union Schools with 20 gallons of Easy Care Ultra Premium paint through the program, which helps improve learning environments and can have an impact on youth attitudes and performance.

According to the True Value website, more than 1,800 schools, youth-focused nonprofits, and Boys & Girls Clubs across the country have been awarded paint since 2009, covering more than 21.5 million square feet of learning space.

The Easy Care Ultra Premium paint earned “Asthma & Allergy Friendly” certification from the Asthma & Allergy Friendly Certification Program, an independent program established by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America with their partner Allergy Standards Limited that helps consumers identify products more suitable for people with asthma and allergies.

This is the second time Hale’s True Value has nominated DUS for the grant, having also nominated the district in 2015.

“This program is a terrific program that allows us to give back to the community and save our schools some money,” said Hale’s True Value general manager Randy Hale. “We’ve always been involved with the schools and do what we can to help. Twenty gallons may not seem like a lot, but a fresh coat of paint makes you feel better and could make a difference in the class. It can make both the students and the faculty more upbeat.”

True Value retailers were encouraged to submit applications for deserving schools, Boys & Girls Clubs or other youth-development focused nonprofits that have a need for paint and submit applications on their behalf. Grant applications were open to retailers from Jan. 1 to Mar. 6, with recipients announced in April via email. Paint delivery and pickups took place between April and September.

In addition to the paint grant, Hale’s True Value was also able to donate $800 worth of sanitizer, hand soap and facemasks to DUS through True Value’s Educational Heroes Safety Campaign. The campaign has provided 700 schools across the country with health and safety kits to help educators and staff in schools.

“Masks and hand sanitizer were really hard to come by,” Hale said. “True Value has a paint manufacturing facility. They took that facility and started manufacturing hand sanitizer, and they took it a step further and started providing products. We filled out a request for a kit and were one of the 700 chosen. We were more than happy to do it.”