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We Are Community Carpentry USA,

Community Carpentry USA, Inc. (CCUSA) started as a carpentry training program designed to teach carpentry Skills to Young Adults over six months. We were fortunate that a major university offered a grant opportunity to Neighborhood Organizations in Birmingham, AL., with ideas to help improve the community's health. Yes, if more young adults learn these carpentry skills and become employed, this would help reduce crime and violence, improving the overall health of the community and the city.

This "old idea" has made a comeback. Workforce Development has always been important to a nation. Some people had lost confidence in young adults willing to work hard and get their hands dirty sometimes. Some felt investing in young adults learning a skill wasn't worth it.

David VanWilliams, Master Carpenter, and Founder of CCUSA, disagreed. Mr. VanWilliams believed in them when not many others did. Mr. VanWilliams talked to business, political, and religious leaders for over a decade about teaching carpentry skills to young adults. Most would encourage me because even though they thought it was a good idea, no one saw it as a priority or suggested a way to fund the program.

The idea to do this came about because Mr. VanWilliams had two younger Brothers he wanted to help protect from the Mean Streets. Unfortunately, he could not get the Carpentry Program off the ground before his brothers came of age and had survived the mean streets of Atlanta, GA.

But the initial desire to help them created a program that has helped others to see the value of learning carpentry and the many options that come with this well-respected Skill.

Again, this program is designed to teach basic carpentry skills over six months. At graduation, we recognized the students as "Carpenter's Helper." They will have the option of immediate employment by small or large contractors. They also can continue their training to become an entry-level carpenter after two years or more. We will help you to enroll in an Accredited Apprenticeship Program or at a Community College. The good news is you will walk through the doors with confidence. You will know how to read a tape measure and note the difference between lumber and plywood. You will learn to drive a nail into wood to fasten the pieces together. You will know the difference between different types of nails.

And on top of that, we will train you with the best carpenters in the USA. You will learn how to work smart, not hard. We will teach you how to look good doing carpentry. This is a great skill; several people in the bible were carpenters/builders.

We work with young adults and youth that have never held a hammer in their hands in their life. Within the first week, students will be using hammers and nails. Nails are set/placed in wood by instructors. Students learn to use their new hammers by striking the nails until is sunk into the wood. First, we want to test your hand and eye coordination. During this time, students will wear safety google and gloves. Amazingly, Americans would spend $25,000 a year to house unproductive prisoners and that pay no taxes for that year. Yet the idea is to help these same young adults and youth become productive members of our society, paying taxes, and developing their families. That is a better deal for everyone. We have been able to train students and watch them find employment, keep those jobs or enroll in Community College, and continue to build their families.

We have just scratched the surface of what we are capable of; we could do so much more with adequate funding. Please help us to keep saving lives, building stronger families, and participating in community development as we build houses.

This program does so much more than teach carpentry. We pay a weekly stipend each week until graduation. This way, students become accustomed to receiving a check every Friday. This is a no-nonsense program. We have a dress code that must be followed. We have safety protocols that everyone must adhere to. We also have fun, and everyone participates. We build Tiny Houses; some use them to live in space, SheSheds, ManCave. Our buildings are strong because we build them Like Real Houses. This is different from your typical Storage Shed.

In addition to learning carpentry, students build work stamina by picking up litter and using a lawn mower and weed eater to help beautify the community. This way, we teach students to take more pride in their community. This will make people feel better about living in the community. We also take on community service work by building handicap ramps or other home improvements to senior citizens' homes in our community. We believe in a holistic approach to community development.

We plan to offer an After School Program for High School Students from 3 to 6 pm. This way, parents can feel better knowing that their son or daughter between the ages of 16 - 18 is safe and learning a life skill.

People would always say you have to start with the younger ones. So, we would like a Saturday camp for 13 to 16-year-olds from 9 am to 3 pm. We ultimately want to Build Affordable Homes for Young Parents, and the Beauty of it would be young adults in this program, helping to build those houses.