Habitat for Humanity seeks State Farm grant for ‘Acorns to Oaks’

Posted on May 20, 2015

By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – A local program that aims to give students hands-on construction training is competing for a State Farm grant to help it get off the ground.

Habitat for Humanity construction manager Bill Waller told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin, ‘Acorns to Oaks’ will enable students to lean how to build cabinets in homes that Habitat for Humanity builds.

“We want to people the opportunity to see this operation,” Waller said. “They may or may not be able to work in the shop due to (a lack of vocational classes), just to expose them to it because they don’t see it anymore. It’s just not available to them.”

A State Farm youth advisory board has chosen 200 programs from among 4,000 nationwide to compete for a Neighborhood Assist grant. The top 40 vote-getters on Facebook will split $1 million, that’s $25,000 each. Waller said the grant would by tools and other materials.

“The trades pool is depleted,” Waller said. “It’s going to cost more over the years because of that fact they’ve taken of them out of the schools. Wood shop is one of them.”

You can vote on our Facebook page through June 3.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

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