“They really enjoyed giving back to their community,” said Myers. “It made them feel really good.”
On a single Monday in October, more than 400 people hammered out 534 bunk beds that Phoenix-area children in need are now sleeping in, said CCC Construction Technology Management Coordinator Ken Myers. Three of those volunteers were first-year CCC students, originally from the Valley.
“They really enjoyed giving back to their community,” said Myers. “It made them feel really good.”
“We were just invited with our teacher [Myers] to go down to Mesa from Flagstaff to help them out,” said CCC student Cameron Barrett of Mesa, who is working toward his HVAC certification. “I never heard of a program like this. It’s so neat they’re doing it and getting thousands of kids off the floor and into beds. Kids don’t deserve to sleep on the floor. This project was really sweet. It’s not even working when you’re doing sanding and nailing, just having a good time hanging out and doing something toward a good cause.”
“The project was truly a win for all parties,” said CCC President Dr. Eric Heiser. “CCC students got the opportunity to use the skills they’ve learned in our classrooms and labs and put them to work in a real-world situation and one with a most noble cause. The pride from our students was evident as they were taking part in this project. Giving our students the chance to work on a project that is not only tangible but so fulfilling is something we strive for in all our programs.”
According to Sleep in Heavenly Peace, more than 3,000 children in the Phoenix area do not sleep in their own beds. Some share a bed or fall asleep in chairs, on couches or on the floor.
“I remember my first night in that bed, feeling so overwhelmed with gratefulness and peace. I slept better than I could ever remember before, and I felt myself gaining more confidence and feeling more hopeful about life going forward,” said Sarah W., in a story shared by the non-profit organization.
“This partnership comes to life at Lowe’s Swing for Charity events, which collectively this year have built more than 1,200 bunk beds to be distributed by local chapters of Sleep in Heavenly Peace,” said Lowe’s Foundation Director Betsy Conway. “Having participated in many of these builds, it’s always inspiring to see how Lowe’s comes together with its vendor-partners to support local families in need. This is truly meaningful work.”
Recently, the Lowe’s Foundation awarded $750,000 to CCC’s construction management program through its Gable Grants program to help address the significant shortage of skilled workers in the construction trades including electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
“We’re thankful that Lowes chose Coconino Community College to be one of the inaugural recipients of the Gable Grants and we’re going to work our hardest to show why we earned that distinction,” said Heiser. “We can’t wait to expand our construction management programs, add more students and continue to provide the workforce that is in such a dire need in Flagstaff and all of Coconino County.”
Conway says CCC is a critical part of the Lowe’s Foundation’s goal to prepare 50,000 people for rewarding skilled trades careers in the next five years. “We wanted to make a difference and we wanted to make an immediate impact,” she said. “We recently had the opportunity to spend time on campus with students and instructors, and were extremely impressed with how the school plans to scale its HVAC, plumbing and electrical programs to inspire the next generation of trades workers. We think these tradespeople also will play an important role in helping address the housing emergency in Flagstaff and Northern Arizona.”
“Lowe’s has been so amazing,” said Myers. “In addition to the grant, they just donated a pallet of drills – 54 drills for our program as well as 42 combo drill kits – and they gave the program $4,000 in holiday gift cards, which will allow us to buy more tools and materials to train the next generation.”
Noting that there are an estimated 546,000 new skilled tradespeople needed nationwide on top of the normal pace of hiring to meet demand in 2023 alone, Conway say the Lowe’s Foundation is developing a community of skilled tradespeople to build and revitalize homes, neighborhoods and infrastructure for the future. FBN
To learn more about the Lowe’s Foundation, visit Lowes.com/Foundation.
By Bonnie Stevens, FBN
Courtesy Photo: Coconino Community College students Jason Andres, Alex Escobar and Cameron Barrett participated at Lowe’s Swing for Charity bunk bed build in October.