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Local 357 Builds Home for Paducah Neighbor

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Volunteers Form Carpenters Local 357 are leading the way in volunteering to help build a Habitat for Humanity home for Paducah resident Tineka Bard Zarlunga. 

Retired member Bobby Miller is serving as construction superintendent over the project and is tasked with coordination of daily work on the house, as well as using it as a teaching opportunity to show local trade school students how a house is planned and built from beginning to completion.

Several members of Local 357 have volunteered to see this project progress and will continue to volunteer their skills and time to ensure that it is completed. 

Special thanks to members Brad Downs, Tom Blevins, Chad Helm, Jacob Barrett, Bobby Miller, Todd Miller, Matt Hall, Ricky Freeman, Richard Blevins, Ronnie Cavanagh, and Jacob Rambeau for their help in building their communities.

 

Carpenters Bring Smiles to Louisville Ronald McDonald House

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Brenna & Jacob – they’re just two of the reasons Louisville carpenters volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House of Louisville last week. Carpenters helped patients and families take a much-needed break from the hospital to build keepsake toolboxes. It’s a simple thing that makes a big difference to families.

The Louisville event is one of many “Carpenters Caring for Kids” events at area Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio Ronald McDonald Houses. It’s just one of the ways our carpenters, millwrights and floorcoverers are building their communities. 

With the help of volunteers, kids at the Ronald McDonald house put together and colored toolboxes where they can store toys, trinkets, and hope – a crucial tool in battling whatever ails them. For many of these families, events like this are some of the only cheerful moments they get to share with each other.

The Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters is proud to partner with the Ronald McDonald House to build toolboxes and memories. 

Carpenters Give Community Scholarships to NW Indiana Schools

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Because of their great work in the community, three elementary schools received extra funding through an award from the Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters. Seven years ago the IKORCC began partnering with local elementary schools to promote community involvement and giving back to their hometowns.

The partnership with the Carpenters Union incentivizes elementary students to be involved in their communities by offering an award of $500 dollars to one school in each of the participating counties. Each quarter the schools enter into a drawing based on their project in hopes to win the award and recognition of their community project! The Kids Caring for the Community Initiative has grown to be a highlight at many elementary schools within Lake, Porter and LaPorte Counties.

This week Carpenters Union Representatives, along with Sara Gutierrez, Principal of George Earle Elementary, presented this quarter’s awards. The winning schools include Westville Elementary, Homer Iddings Elementary and Porter Lakes Elementary School.

Homer Iddings Elementary School dedicated their community project to collect resources for their local Humane Society. The students brought in paper towels to donate to the center. Principal Teri Crussen says, “The Kids caring for the Community initiative brings the students at Iddings Elementary School great pride. The students love to bring a smile to someone else through the various community projects. We often get thank you cards from the organizations who have been helped through the projects and we share those with the students and families. Showing kindness to others is always a good thing and the students love having the opportunities to offer assistance and support the community organizations”.

Westville Elementary School is no rookie to community involvement. The school has been recognized in the past for their impact in the community and because of that, raised enough money to build a STEM classroom at their school. The STEM classroom gives students the opportunity to practice creativity, problem solving and life skills. The school received the $500 award this quarter because of an afterschool program called Girls on the Run. The students participated, raised money and made a meaningful contribution back to their community.

Carpenters Help Open New Veteran’s Museum

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Thanks to local carpenters, the doors are now open at the new Veteran’s Museum at the Tri-Town Safety Village in Schererville, Indiana. 

The museum houses a wide array of war artifacts and pays tribute to veterans. The museum will be a learning center where visitors can learn about the many sacrifices made by veterans. Additionally, the museum will provide each visitor with an in-depth look at how soldiers lived during wartime. The objective is to promote patriotism, unity, and to leave each visitor with a lasting appreciation towards veterans and the sacrifices they’ve made.

This would not be possible without the help of the IKORCC and the local Training Center. As part of their classes, apprentices framed and helped side the building. Many journeymen and retiree volunteers also lent a hand.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart has agreed to house their removable memorial wall inside the Veteran’s Museum for all visitors to see. The Military Order of the Purple Heart wall contains the names and pictures of everyone who has received the Purple Heart Medal. The memorial pays tribute to all military personnel who have received the Purple Heart Medal.

The Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters has a history of helping the Safety Village and has taken part in building more than four structures. The next opening will be a Fire Museum.

Pictured are Representative Jim Slagle, Curator and main donator of artifacts Tom Clark, Doctor of the Safety Village Bill Jarvis and Member volunteer John Mosca.

Not pictured but who gave countless hours are retirees Tom Dorsey and Swede Carlson. Thanks to all our members who helped make the possible.

Ashland Members Lend a Hand

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Last week, Ashland members were busy giving back their time and talent to the community. Members built a set of stairs and a handicap ramp for the Ashland Alliance Annual Reception. 

The money for the project was donated by Carpenters locals 437, 472, and Millwright locals 1076 and 1090.

A special recognition goes out to Apprenticeship Instructor, Clinton Young and all the Journeyman and Apprentice volunteers who worked on this project. Thank you to Local 472 for allowing volunteers to use your facilities.

Members who worked on this project are from locals 437, 472,1076, 1090 and 1650.

IKORCC Partners with American Heart Association

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The Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters supported an evening of giving and education on the effects of heart health in the construction industry. The IKORCC was the presenting sponsor at the American Heart Association Hard Hats with Heart networking event. We value this partnership because our members face many of the health risks related to cardiovascular diseases on a daily basis. May it be the level of stress they face on a jobsite or the lack of healthy eating options in the surrounding areas, they are all risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. As we move forward in our efforts to keep our members heart healthy, we will be implementing a wellness program that will focus on how to live a healthier life. We will educate members on many topics such as how to maintain blood suagr levels, eating better and reducing blood pressure, to maintaining a healthy weight and stop smoking.

The American Heart Association launched Hard Hats with Heart two years ago in order to focus on heart health within the construction industry. According to the American Heart Association, direct and indirect costs of cardiovascular diseases and stroke total more than $316.6 billion. That includes health expenditures and lost productivity. In order to improve the overall heart health of our membership we must educate ourselves on the risks we may face in our day-to-day activities. The risk factors for construction workers vary from smoking, the lack of a well-rounded diet and high blood pressure, to diabetes and high cholesterol. The widespread presence of heart disease in construction is slightly higher than all other industries. This research comes as a surprise because on average construction workers tend to be younger and they experience physical demands daily. We are flooded with statistics of the risks factors we face as workers in the construction industry. As we are educated on these risks, it is our job to make a change in our own lives so we won’t become another statistic.

Hard Hats with Heart is here to provide companies in the construction-related field with free resources and tools that can help improve the health of their employees. We are working as a team to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. We look forward to the many lives that will be changed because of the education and resources they will acquire through Hard Hats with Heart.

Indianapolis Carpenters Bring Smiles to Ronald McDonald House

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Nicholas & Olivia – they’re just two of the reasons Indianapolis carpenters volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House of Indianapolis last week. Carpenters helped patients and families take a much-needed break from the hospital to build keepsake toolboxes. It’s a simple thing that makes a big difference to families.

The Indianapolis event is one of many “Carpenters Caring for Kids” events at area Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio Ronald McDonald Houses. It’s just one of the ways our carpenters, millwrights and floorcoverers are building their communities.

10-year old Nicholas and his mom traveled all the way from Chicago to Riley Hospital for an appointment with his neurologist. His mom is excited about the recent progress he’s made in learning to walk, the neurologist in Indianapolis really helped with that. With her other children hours away and a limited income, the ability to stay at the Indianapolis Ronald McDonald House is crucial to Nicholas’ continued progression. There she can stay for free, have a nice meal with her son and on days when the carpenters are around, she gets to see Nicholas smile while doing something he loves.

Watch the video below to see just how much this event meant to her and other families staying at the Indianapolis Ronald McDonald House.

IKORCC Brings Trades to Junior Achievement of KY

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The Junior Achievement Center of Kentuckiana is looking a little more diverse this school year with a new storefront that explores skilled trades in carpentry, floorcovering and as a millwright. 

It’s a perfect time for students, to learn more about the high paying careers in skilled trades, an area that is experiencing a nationwide shortage of skilled craftsman. The Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters is proud to introduce Union Trades into the Chase JA Finance Park.

The Chase JA Finance Park will be a sight to see and you won’t want to miss it! The walls of the space are designed to take students through the stages of being a Union Tradesman. As you make your way through the space you’ll see descriptions of milestones, salaries, great benefits and the opportunities for growth. We are thrilled to be part of the Junior Achievement Center of Kentuckiana.

Chase JA Finance Park sets the scene for middle and high school students to live a day in the life of an adult with a career, job, family, and a background that creates their lifestyle. Based on many factors the students create and use their personal budget while in JA Finance Park. Students will be assigned a job working for the IKORCC and will learn to live life as a Union Carpenter.

The IKORCC represents more than 32,000 professional tradespeople in 33 locals in Indiana, Kentucky, and parts of West Virginia and Tennessee. A proud affiliate of the

United Brotherhood of Carpenters, which has a century-plus tradition of representing the best of building trades.

The IKORCC has proudly partnered with local schools in the area to provide Career Connections Curriculum for the building trades instructors. The provided Career Connections material will prepare their students for their future Apprenticeship Program with the IKORCC. The new partnership with the Junior Achievement Center represents the dedication the IKORCC has to building a strong community.

 

Sparking Careers in Skilled Trades with Junior Achievement

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Indiana Carpenters & Floorcoverers are sparking careers in skilled trades at the Junior Achievement Job Spark event in Indianapolis. Over 4,000 students visited the event where they learned about various career paths, including those in building trades.

The Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters booth was full of interested students all day. Students took part in a floorcovering challenge & at the end of the day, we named the challenge winner. Groups received blueprints and 24 carpet squares, with the goal of being the fastest, most accurate group.

See all the excitement below or by clicking here.

IKORCC Member Saves Police Officer’s Life

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IKORCC and Local 599 member Patrick Baum risked his life today to save a police officer and helped apprehend a person wanted for multiple attempted child abductions in Hammond. The Hammond Police Department held a special ceremony and presented Patrick with a bravery award for his heroic actions.

Officers say Patrick risked his personal safety to assist an officer in need while he was trying to secure a dangerous individual believed to be involved in multiple child abductions. Patrick’s actions that day helped to avoid a potential tragedy. The suspect who was arrested and charged with 5 criminal counts including Attempted Criminal Confinement and Resisting Law Enforcement is in custody.

A statement from The Hammond, Indiana Police Department stated:
On June 1 at approximately 2:30 pm, Hammond Police responded to the 2900 block of 165th street in reference to an attempted child abduction. A 15-year-old female reported that she was grabbed by a black male in a vehicle. The female stated that she was able to quickly pull away from the male and ran. Witnesses on scene gave police a detailed description of the vehicle he was driving and the license plate. A few minutes later, a 10-year-old female reported that a male matching the same description tried to lure her into his vehicle in the 6400 block of New Hampshire.

Hammond Police Officer Daniel Sangkaratana was actively patrolling the area in search of the suspect when he located the vehicle with matching license plates from Illinois. Officer Sangkaratana advised that he located the suspect inside his vehicle. Officer Sangkaratana performed a traffic stop of the vehicle and the suspect immediately exited his vehicle and began to walk around with a blank stare. Officer Sangkaratana gave the suspect orders that were ignored. The suspect went back into his vehicle and began to reach under the driver’s seat of the vehicle.

Fearing that the suspect was reaching for a weapon, Officer Sangkaratana ran up the suspect and grabbed his arm attempting to stop the suspect from grabbing a weapon. The suspect spun around and began to fight with the officer. The suspect began to grab Officer Sangkaratana’s vest and gun belt. The suspect pushed the officer into the street and continued to struggle.

At this time, a local Hammond resident, Patrick Baum, was driving by and observed what was happening. He stopped his vehicle and exited. Mr. Baum ran up to the suspect fighting with Officer Sangkaratana and tackled him to the ground. Mr. Baum assisted Officer Sangkaratana in holding the suspect on the ground until fellow officers arrived and the officers were able to secure the suspect in the police vehicle.

Mr. Baum was presented with an award for bravery today. The Hammond Police Department would like to thank Mr. Patrick Baum for his selfless and brave actions that afternoon. He risked his personal safety to assist an officer in need while he was trying to secure a dangerous individual believed to be involved in multiple child abductions. Mr. Baum’s actions that day helped to avoid a potential tragedy. The suspect who was arrested and charged with 5 criminal counts including Attempted Criminal Confinement and Resisting Law Enforcement is in custody.