Community is the cornerstone of Bobby Jenkin’s mission at Wilson Paint and Wallpaper in Wilson, North Carolina. 

A recent project spearheaded by Jenkins was the revitalization of the Ralph L. Fike High School football stadium, a local high school in the area.

“Over at Fike high school, we [noticed] their stadium needed an upgrade,” says Jenkins. “I pass it…four or five times a day, and it just looked terrible with no paint on it. It looked like it was just about to fall apart.”

Jenkins donated hundreds of gallons of paint for the project, resulting in a freshly painted stadium shining in the school’s deep blue color.

“When I got out there and saw the condition of the stadium, I was like, okay, this is my chance here to see what I can do to help this situation,” Jenkins says.

While the project was a success, Jenkins, an alumnus of Beddingfield High School, another high school in Wilson, says he received some friendly resistance from his friends. 

“My people were like, ‘Bobby, what are you doing? Doing all this stuff a Fike?’ But then they lightened up. They said, ‘No, you’re doing a great thing,’” Jenkins says. “I’m always looking for a way to put a smile on somebody’s face. I said, ‘I can put a smile on somebody’s face by actually being part of this situation right here.’”

Located in historic downtown Wilson, Jenkins makes an effort to engage with customers and local community members in any way he can. Last year, Jenkins hosted an event in his store called “Art Spin,” where local children in the community could see the behind-the-scenes operations of paint mixing. He has also donated paint and other supplies to communities that suffered storm damage in Western North Carolina.