Carpenters Build Community at Indiana State Fair

Nearly a dozen carpenters spent Saturday building something a little different than usual. Instead of constructing buildings – they volunteered to build community and relationships at the Indiana State Fair.

Saturday, August 7th was Carpenters Day at the Indiana State Fair. Volunteers spent the day building keepsake toolboxes with families, recruiting new members and forming community partnerships.

When visitors came to the fair, the first thing they saw was giant banners that said “Welcome to Carpenters Day”. Fair staff wore “We’re Hiring” buttons directing them to our career application. All day long, radio ads for the Carpenters played over the loud speaker and our ads were on the back cover of the State Fair program. The sky ride also had recruitment advertising on the back of the cars.

Volunteers for the IKORCC were phenomenal. They set up four tents, showcased a new “Now Hiring” truck and had a large presence on the busiest corner of the fair. Volunteers handed out recruitment materials and built over 600 toolboxes. You couldn’t walk anywhere at the fair and not see the IKORCC and UBC logo in the hands of kids and adults. Hammy the mascot also made a few appearances!

In addition to building toolboxes, volunteers also sold raffle tickets for a playhouse with proceeds benefiting Carpenters Caring. Carpenters Caring is a non-profit that raises money for IKORCC members in need. This year’s playhouse was built by our partners at Central Nine Career Center. Students in the construction trades class completed the project. Special thanks to these students and their instructor Frank Wormann for their help.

Volunteers raised nearly $600 for Carpenters Caring thanks to raffle ticket sales and plan to continue selling raffle tickets until the drawing in late October.

To view all photos from the event, click here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1esmj3cmm1qx369/AACQNHUnN78hqSh48noCKFaya?dl=0

To view a Facebook live video of the event, click here;
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=675898710474761&ref=watch_permalink

 

Carpenters Build Wheelchair Ramps for Community

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Member Builds Park to Honor Son

September 21, 2020 the unthinkable happened for David Sweeney.  David is a 1st year floor-laying apprentice out of Local 171 in the Youngstown area.  He answered his door to learn the news that his 4-year-old son, Rowan, was senselessly murdered.  His life was changed forever.

In the next few months, his family had to figure out how to pick up the pieces of their life after their tragedy.  They wanted a way to honor and memorialize their playful, energetic, happy son.  After much thought, the

family landed the vision to build a park in his honor.

Plans for the park include quality, accessible equipment for everyone to enjoy.  Their hope is that this park will serve as a memorial for other families experiencing similar loss or tragedy, too.

Local 171 has been helping share the fundraising events to help the family meet their goal and when they do, they plan to help build the park as well.

When area representatives learned of the possibility to get help through Carpenters Care, they applied for help.  Carpenters Care intends to plan a fundraising event to benefit the Rowan Memorial Park Trust, (more details will be provided to locals across the council in the coming months).

If you are interested in donating directly to the cause, you can do so at www.rowansmemorialpark.com/donation.

Cory Hudson Wins Don Sherry Achievement Award

Cory Hudson Receives Don Sherry Achievement Award

Few people have left the impact on the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters as Don Sherry did. Don Sherry tragically passed away in 2017. His list of accomplishments is vast, and his impact on our union is unprecedented.

Don Sherry passionately served the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters for nearly 20 years as a business representative and Director of Organizing. He was the President of Carpenters Local 175 and a dedicated advocate for worker’s rights and unions. Colleagues said his dedication to this organization was second to none.

Don Sherry Achievement Award

To honor his legacy, the IKORCC gives the Don Sherry Achievement Award annually.

To honor Don’s service and dedication, each year since his passing the IKORCC has given The Don Sherry Achievement Award. The award recognizes a rank and file member who has gone above and beyond in their service on the job site, with contractors, in MAC meetings (Member Action Committee), and in their community. In addition to giving an award in his honor, IKORCC delegates raise money each year during their annual conference and donate the proceeds to the Diabetes Foundation in Don Sherry’s honor.

Past recipients of the Don Sherry Achievement Award include:

2018 – Glenn Downs, Local 599
2019 – Raymond Poer, Local 599

Of all the nominations received in 2020, Cory Hudson’s stood out. That’s why the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters is proud to present Cory Hudson with the 2020 Don Sherry Achievement Award. Cory is an active member of Carpenters Local 285, military veteran, and served as the lead instructor at the Richfield Ohio Carpenters’ Joint Apprenticeship & Training Program for years, until recently accepting a new role as a superintendent for a union contractor. Cory’s leadership, training, and tireless dedication will serve him well in that role.

“We take the Don Sherry Award very seriously and have many very qualified applications submitted each year. I had the privilege to know and work directly with Don for many years and saw his commitment and dedication to our Brotherhood first hand. I’ve also been fortunate to know Cory Hudson and have seen his commitment to our Union and how he always puts the UBC at the forefront. His dedication to our craft helps keep our standards above the rest and he has a “care factor” not just for apprentices or our membership as a whole, but for all people. It was an honor and privilege to present the award to Cory Hudson this year,” said IKORCC’s EST Todd Pancake.

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Akron Fire Department

Carpenters & Millwrights Donate Smoke Detectors For Homes in Need

For the third consecutive year, the Members Action Committee of Local 285 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America –- supported by brothers and sisters from Carpenters Local 373, Carpenters Local 435, Carpenters Local 735 and Millwright/Piledrivers Local 1090 — participated in fundraising aimed at providing smoke and fire detectors to increase community safety for those unable to afford such protective devices.

Read more about last year’s donation: https://www.ikorcc.com/carpenters-union-donates-170-smoke-detectors-to-local-fire-station/

This year, more than 200 smoke detectors were presented to Captain Mike Haas of the Akron Fire Prevention Inspector Bureau and other officers of the Akron, Ohio Fire Department including Chief Clarence Tucker on Thursday June 4th, 2020. The smoke detectors were delivered by Aaron Wright, Mike Freeman and Abram Bruner, business representatives of the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters. The presentation was made at the newly constructed Akron Fire Station 4 on 25 E. Thorton Street.

 

Akron Fire Department

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Ohio Carpenters community

GIVING BACK: Members Support Up Side of Downs Fundraiser

Brotherhood. Unity. Compassion. Last weekend the IKORCC joined 4 Cleveland-area locals to support The Up Side of Downs. The organization raises money for Down’s Syndrome advocacy. Locals 1090, 285, 373 & 435 have raised nearly $70,000 for the organization. We are incredibly proud of the amazing work these carpenters & millwrights have done in the community!

 

IKORCC Volunteers

Operation Victory Dedicates 3rd Home

Community service is a value that runs deep in union members.  This is especially true in Louisville, Kentucky where they have just completed their third home renovation for Operation Victory.

Operation Victory is a coalition of Greater Louisville Area Unions, Non-Profit/Community Organizations, and Local Area Businesses joined together to rehabilitate vacant and abandoned homes for Homeless Veterans.

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Carpenters help with medical bills after tragic car accident

Carpenters Help Family Recover After Head-On Collision

On a foggy Thursday morning in April, Adam Stampley boarded a flight from Indianapolis to Las Vegas. He took his seat and smiled. This was a huge moment in his career with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, a culmination of three years of hard work and dedication.

Union officers selected Adam to attend the Journeyman Leadership Program at the Carpenters International Training Center, a recognition of his leadership potential and dedication to the brotherhood. “Everything is coming together,” he thought as he glanced at his phone hoping to hear from his wife Erica before the flight.

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Cincinnati Carpenters Help Orphans

Locals 2 & 1090 Help Orphans at Christmas

Cincinnati Carpenters Help OrphansThis holiday season Locals 2 and 1090 in Cincinnati made sure no child was left behind. As part of their ongoing partnership with St. Joseph’s Orphanage, IKORCC carpenters and millwrights made sure kids in the home had something to wake up to this Christmas.

The orphanage often gets toy donations for the younger kids but struggles when it comes to making teens’ wishes come true. That’s where IKORCC members stepped in to help. Locals 2 and 1090 donated a total of $1,000 to help.

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Carpenters Partner with Ronald McDonald Houses

The Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters is proud to have a partnership with seven Ronald McDonald Houses across Indiana, Kentucky & Ohio. What started as building the houses has turned into much more in our efforts to build communities. Check out all the smiles and history of the IKORCC’s partnership with Ronald McDonald Houses.