Meet Food for Schools Sponsor Gonzalez Painters and Contractors 

Gonzalez Painters & Contractors was founded by Florencio Gonzalez in 2002. At the time, he had a crew of three people. Today, all of them are still with the company, which has grown to 85 employees in the past two decades. 

They offer residential and commercial painting services, both interiors and exteriors; roofing; gutter installment and replacement; cabinet painting; and more. 

Gonzalez also gives back to the community in myriad ways – raising money for Hope Renovations and Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, painting PORCH Chapel Hill-Carrboro’s new community hub in downtown Carrboro at no charge, and sponsoring a mural project for art students at Carrboro High School. 

“I think it’s important because we get so much from the community,” says Jesus Avendano, the company’s sales and marketing manager. “Not a lot of companies understand our business model. The return of investment you get … letting homeowners know that we are people. We are humans. We cannot do any of this without each other.” 

Gonzalez Painters & Contractors has held food drives for PORCH and is a Food for Schools (FFS) sponsor. FFS provides supplemental food to students in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools who are hungry and struggling to concentrate.

Through FFS, PORCH Chapel Hill-Carrboro provides each school with $1,100 worth of snacks in a school year – $550 at the beginning of the academic year and $550 after the holidays. The snacks – cheese crackers, granola bars, applesauce, apples, protein bars, trail mix, fruit bars, and more – are purchased in bulk, brought to a central location, and sorted. Then, school social workers pick up the healthy snacks on a designated day each semester.   

Once the social workers divide the snacks among grade levels within their school, students simply let their teacher know when they are hungry and would like a snack to tide them over during the school day. Each school nurse gets a supply of snacks, too – a vital resource when students aren’t feeling well and need some sustenance.   

To learn more,  check out our feature on this program.  

“Some people hire us because they know PORCH and know that we do food drives with them,” says Jesus. “Or they will say: ‘My kids go to school at Carrboro High, and I like how you helped our kids. I like that you did the auction for Hope Renovations.’ Getting involved really lets the homeowner know that our company cares about the community.” 

Gonzalez is known for its integrity, hassle-free process, and quality results. Google selected the company to be featured in its economic impact report in 2023 – they only select one company per state each year. 

Jesus says that the work is personal for both the customers and the Gonzalez team. “We transform homes for better memories,” he says. “We are not just a painting or roofing company. In reality, when someone paints their living room, they are going to enjoy moments with their family. Some people have cried when we have finished their home.” 

View our full list of FFS sponsors and learn more about becoming a sponsor.