In February of 2012, Atterbury Job Corps set a goal for its students and pledged 1500 hours of volunteer service to the surrounding communities of Central Indiana. To achieve this milestone, the Atterbury center worked side-by-side with many local agencies and community groups. By utilizing the education, learned skills, and manpower of our combined 600 plus student population, the Atterbury center shattered the original service hour goal by completing 4126 total volunteer hours in a mere two month time period.
In the month of April 2012, to observe Global Youth Service Day, 38 students went to the hard-hit southern Indiana town of Henryville to assist in rebuilding projects after a tornado decimated the area. Atterbury students volunteered to make food packs at Gleaners food bank in Indianapolis. This has become a weekly ongoing volunteer event for the centers. The Atterbury Student Government Association, along with Franklin Parks and Recreation, completed a ground clean up event in observance of Earth Day. Other hours were completed by volunteering at Morning Point Assisted Living Facility on a weekly basis, participating in a marathon to stop shaken baby syndrome, and working at the McDowell Education Center Family Literacy Fair.
In the month of May 2012, Atterbury Job Corps worked with the Franklin Boys and Girls club to help renovate their center by harnessing the skills of our construction trade students, such as Facility Maintenance, Electrical, and Paint. The organization estimates that with Atterbury volunteer assistance, $20,000 in labor costs were saved. These are funds that can be used for other beneficial programs for the children they service.
With the original goal of 1500 volunteer service hours completed in such a short period of time, Atterbury Job Corps students are setting their sights on a larger community goal. The center is initiating a student “Make a Difference” week, August 27th through the 31st. Our students will be out in the local communities, each day that week, providing volunteer help, completing clean-up and construction projects, and providing assistance all over Central Indiana. Atterbury Job Corps is scheduled to participate in the United Way of Johnson County “Day of Caring”, and will provide assistance to local community organizations, such as Bartholomew and Columbus Parks and Recreation, Bartholomew County Humane Society, Morning Point Nursing Home in Franklin, Turning Point Domestic Violence Center, several “Town of Nashville” municipalities, the Brown County Community Foundation, the Presbyterian Church of Brown County, Second Helpings Food Recovery in Indianapolis, the Franklin Head start program, and the center will hold a Red Cross Blood Drive as well.
The student body of Atterbury Job Corps has set a high goal, and because of the quality of our program, and the character of our students, we look forward to reporting on how we “Made a Difference” in our Central Indiana community.
About Atterbury Job Corps Center
Atterbury Job Corps is a no-cost education and career technical training program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor that helps young people ages 16 through 24 improve the quality of their lives through career technical and academic training. Atterbury Job Corps Center is overseen by the Chicago Regional Office of Job Corps, and is operated by Adams and Associates, Inc. Our Center Director is Redford Salmon.
