Over the past couple of months the Cleveland Job Corps Center’s carpentry trade has been building a community service relationship with Purple Heart Homes. While attending a Carpenters Local 435 Union meeting. Mr. Lummus and Mr. Volpe recieved information about a service opportunity for the union members at Purple Heart Homes. Purple Heart Homes is a non-profit organization committed to quality of life solutions for American veterans that includes building and renovating homes. They has a service project in Purple Heart Home that was purchased from the Cleveland Land Bank and needed to be fixed up to make it feasible for the veteran to live in. This meant renovations that included building any necessary ADA accommondations depending on the veteran’s disability or injury. Recognizing that this would be an excellent opportunity for the carpentry trade at the Cleveland Job Corps Center, the instructors decided to seize the moment. The students had the opportunity to work along side and be mentored by fellow journeyman carpenters. The journeyman carpenters were able to reinforce techniques that students learned in shop,as, learning different methods or approaches to add to students’ learned skills. The students were able to see the advantage in this” real life” work experence immediately as the learned and experienced a wide variety of additional tools in the trade. This project also provided a history lesson in the trade as students learned about different components and building methods used in the past when the 80 year old house was first built construction. The instructors were able to explain how these parts and practices are being modernized and why the building codes used today were changed. Michael Norris (carpentry student) stated” it touches my heart to help build a home for an injured veteran” He added, I am able to sleep well at night knowing that someone who served his/her country is able to sleep warm and safe at night in a sturdy house that I helped to renovate.” Christopher Knisely (carpentry student) shared that he and the other students in the trade were motivated to get up early every day and go to the worksite because they felt good about what they were going while working toward a goal together. Christopher also stated” It has really raised shop morale even higher. Christopher knows that the veteran risked and sacrificed his/her lifefor the United States,and that the other students did what they could to pay him/her back. The finished project help our students realize what can be accomplished through teamwork,and a plan