Combat Veterans In Crisis Need Your Help, Through Your Woodworking.

[John Morris]

Dear Patriot Woodworker's and visitors alike.

We have been approached by our wonderful supporters at Laguna Tools and asked if we could help them out by contributing works of art and crafts items made from wood to a very worthy organization called Collaborative Courts Foundation.

Their main mission is to help folks out who have made wrong decisions in life, yet are fully capable of being productive citizens. Instead of incarceration, they are targeted by Collaborative Courts, and they are helped in many ways to rise above their circumstances, and become what they truly are supposed to be, good people, with a positive direction in life. Collaborative Courts will also obtain dental work for our vets and supply them with fresh clothing suitable for a job interview. They truly do work close with these men and women in crisis.

The fundraiser coming up for Collaborative Courts Foundation will help out our combat veterans who are having a rough go at it upon returning home from war. You must understand, multiple deployments, the visions and memories of combat, and the ongoing PTSD these men and women face, are more then anyone could expect of a normal human being. Some of our veterans are coming home to find out the only way they know to deal with their PTSD is through drug and alcohol abuse, thus leading to low level criminal activity such as DUI, fighting, etc. They eventually get into pretty bad shape, hope is lost, their memories fresh from war, and they need our help folks.

 

Catherine Helshoj of Laguna Tools is asking us to create some woodworks, and send them on to her to be presented at their annual charity event to raise funds for these unfortunate folks. Your items will be auctioned off at a coat and tie function where law enforcement, judges, attorneys, and business owners will rub shoulders and collaborate on ways to keep our combat veterans away from repetitive incarceration, and help them clean up, find a job, and stay on the right track.

 

This is the gritty side of our causes Patriot Woodworker's, this is reality, this is what happens to some of our combat vets returning home from war. Far from the images we'd like to envision for their final outcome after service to our country, but it is reality nonetheless.

 

Please help us help our vets, we owe them a chance to get right. We owe them the opportunities to be able to live good, and make it on their own.

 

Patriot Woodworkers, this is a time where there are no accolades, no awards or recognition for your good deeds. This is what we are all about. It's not easy being a member of our organization, much is asked of you, yet you receive nothing in return. Sure sometimes we have some cool giveaways and prizes off and on, but for this event there will be none. You are being asked to spend your time to produce a wooden craft item, and you are being asked to use your dime to ship it to Laguna Tools in time for the auction. And you will receive nothing. But what you will have is the satisfaction of knowing your efforts helped a vet in crisis. One of our motto's here at The Patriot Woodworker has always been Give without expecting anything in return. And that motto fits this project we are about to undertake.

 

So with that, please help, all items will be shipped directly to Catherine Helshoj at the following address

 

Attn: Catherine Helshoj

 

17101 Murphy Ave

 

Irvine, CA 92614

 

All items must be in no later than August 20^th. I know this is a late notification but I know we can get some items to this worthy fundraising auction for our vets. I myself am going to build a nice Curly Maple Shaker 4 tiered Wall Shelf that is pretty popular among my customers. It should go over well. Also this will be a wonderful time to see your items at auction during an important fundraising event like this, and see just what folks are willing to pay for them!

 

Please see attached PDF flyer below for the details of the event. The main ticket is the retirement party for a local judge, but for us the main event will be the auction to raise funds for our vets in crisis.

 

We'd like to thank you all in advance for your contributions. Please check in here at this discussion and let us know if you plan on participating and what you are going to build, or already have built and ready to ship. All questions and concerns can be addressed here in this discussion.

 

Remember Patriot Woodworkers, we are The Few, The Proud, The Patriot Woodworkers!

 

Please help our vets go from this

 

 

To This

 

Thank you once again Patriot Woodworker's,

 

[Ron Dudelston]

Great cause John. Count me in for a jewelry case.

[Charles Nicholls]

Count me in, just don't know what all I can do, but what I do will be posted here, or on a thread you designate.

 

I am actually hoping for more than one item from me like say a few pens and maybe a bowl or turned box etc. We'll see what gets done between now and 8/14/13, seeing as the items do have to have time to arrive, that is my self imposed deadline I have a few kits here already and some nice wood to use

 

[John Moody]

I'm in John for a large End Grain Cutting Board.

[John Morris]

Ron that is so splendid, great work!

[John Morris]

Charles, that'll do just fine sir, if you want to post the items we'll do it here in this discussion. I understand the time crunch, we were just notified a couple days ago guys, but we hope we can get our elves going on this! Thank you Charles.

[John Morris]

John, that will do man, a classy item for sure, it should do well for our vets!

[John Morris]

And I'm in for a 4 tiered Shaker Wall Shelf made from Curly Maple. It is short notice so we have to keep the items relatively simple, but sweet and clean. I look forward to working with you guys!

[Charles Nicholls]

 

Because of the fact that we are under a bit of a time crunch and I DO want to contribute in some way, the quickest way I know to do that, is to contribute something I already made. I will still get other things done, but this is the first thing.

 

 

 

Edit: The pen is called a Princeton, you can get them at WoodCraft. That's a bit of Amboyna burl there with gold titanium. This item has been sitting in a box for about a year waiting for someone to buy it because I wouldn't give it away. Estimated value $35-$50. If i am going to give an item away like this, then it'll go for a great cause.

 

[John Morris]

Charles, it is absolutely beautiful, I am sure it will do very well at auction, great work man.

 

[John Morris]

Back to the top!

[Gene Howe]

John,

 

I wish I could help, but current family obligations will severely limit time in the shop for the next month.

[John Morris]

That's quite alright Gene!!! There will be plenty of opportunities in the future!

[John Morris]

Back to the top! It's not too late folks, we still have time to get some more woodwork into auction for this very worthy cause!!!

[John Morris]

Charles, we got your pen today, it is absolutely beautiful!!!! They will love it at the auction!!! Great job sir!

[Charles Nicholls]

Thanks for the heads up John, I am having a bit of down time again but here lately at least the up time is more than the down .

[John Morris]

I worked on a shaker wall shelf over the weekend and I'll be shipping it out along with your pen, and a donated vessel by a facebook friend tomorrow. We also ordered a pen case for your pen Charles to be shipped to Laguna Tools. Looks like we are going to have a pretty good turn out on behalf of TPW! Thanks to all who have participated!

 

[Charles Nicholls]

thanks John, I am glad I was able to be a part of it.

 

[Steve Carmichael]

I was able to get these three things shipped last week so they would arrive in time.  I made a cedar bandsaw box, a beech pen, and a USC license plate.  I did some googling and found out the Judge they are honoring attended USC, so I thought the plate might be a nice tie-in...even though CA requires two official plates.  Hopefully they can auction them off or find a good home for them. My father was in The Marines and I inherited his tools, so he would like that I used his tools to help out with this.  Thanks, Steve...

[Charles Nicholls]

Excellent job Steve.