February 8, 2019
MEADVILLE, PA (FEB. 8, 2019) – Channellock, Inc., participated in SkillsUSA Service Day at Crawford County Career and Technical Center in Meadville, Pa. as the official lead sponsor of SkillsUSA Week. A Veteran in the Homes For Our Troops (HFOT) program shared his story at the events.
“We are excited to help students get involved and give back using their career and technical training,” said Ryan DeArment, vice president of sales and marketing at Channellock, Inc., and fifth-generation family operator. “Channellock has been a continued partner of Homes For Our Troops and we hope these students are able to listen to the stories of these Veterans and be inspired to use their trade to make a difference.”
SkillsUSA Service Day is dedicated to showing students how they can use their trade to give back to the community. Service Day encourages students to support their local community by participating in service projects and fundraisers.
On Thursday, Feb 7, Marine Corporal Brandon Rumbaugh of Uniontown, Pa., shared his story of serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in 2010. He received his Homes For Our Troops home in 2014. HFOT is a nonprofit organization that builds and donates specially adapted custom homes to Veterans, many of whom have been severely injured.
“Involving Homes For Our Troops with SkillsUSA is a great way to show SkillsUSA students how their respective trades can impact a community through an organization like Homes For Our Troops,” said Tim Lawrence, SkillsUSA executive director. “Service Day is all about giving back.”
Crawford County Career and Technical Center hosted the event by providing a tour of the commercial art, automotive programs, carpentry, welding, precision machining and electrical education facilities. The assembly program involved a welcome and introduction message from SkillsUSA advisors, chapter and national officers, followed by an introduction of Ryan DeArment of Channellock, Inc.
About SkillsUSA
Endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education, SkillsUSA serves more than 360,000 students and instructors each year in middle schools, high schools and colleges. The diverse talent pipeline covers 130 trade, technical and skilled service occupations, the majority STEM-related. More than 600 corporations, trade associations, businesses and labor unions actively support SkillsUSA at the national level. SkillsUSA supports its student members through the development of SkillsUSA Framework skills that include personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in academics. Local, state and national championships, designed and judged by industry, set relevant standards for career and technical education provide recognition opportunities for students. SkillsUSA also offers technical skill assessments and workplace credentials through the Career Essentials Suite, a cutting-edge solution that defines, implements and measures career readiness skills for students. For more information: www.SkillsUSA.org.
About Homes For Our Troops
Homes For Our Troops (HFOT) is a privately funded 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that builds and donates specially adapted custom homes nationwide for severely injured post – 9/11 Veterans, to enable them to rebuild their lives. Most of these Veterans have sustained injuries including multiple limb amputations, partial or full paralysis, and/or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). These homes restore some of the freedom and independence our Veterans sacrificed while defending our country, and enable them to focus on their family, recovery, and rebuilding their lives. Since its inception in 2004, nearly 90 cents of every dollar spent has gone directly to program services for Veterans. HFOT builds these homes where the Veteran chooses to live and continues its relationship with the Veterans after home delivery to assist them with rebuilding their lives. For more information on Homes For Our Troops, visit www.hfotusa.org.