By Sara Wiercinski
This semester, 35 students from Center High School’s Advanced and Capstone Woodshop courses collaborated to create 30 Adirondack chairs for the Veterans Community Project (VCP). Woodworking students, along with teacher and skilled trades program coordinator Alec Chambers, presented the specialty chairs to VCP at a celebration the morning of December 4.
Now every veteran resident of the 49 tiny homes in the VCP Village can relax on a hand-made Adirondack chair on their front porch. A first batch of chairs delivered in February 2024.
Israel is a sophomore at Center enrolled in the Advanced course, and said that creating chairs for veterans made him feel “proud and joyful.”
“It’s good to give the veterans a place to lay back and relax.”
Israel says woodworking is a skill he has always wanted to do. He is interested in studying CAD for a career, and says the 3-D nature of working with wood is good experience.
Junior Rob is also in the Advanced course. He enjoys the hands-on activity and freedom of woodworking, especially during 7th period–the last class of the day.
This semester Rob learned to use a handheld bandsaw to create specific grooves in the chair. “It’s a nice tool,” he said. “I’m gonna be using it.”
Rob added that when the students delivered the chairs the veterans were visibly grateful. “It nearly made me cry,” he said.
Alec Chambers is himself a Center High graduate and praised the school’s partnership with VCP: “We’re right down the road. They are good neighbors.”
He added that through the course of the project, students learned about VCP and the impact even just one chair can make to a veteran.
“Serving those who have served us is a core tenet of this project to be sure,” said Chambers. “Helping teach students how complex projects flow from start to finish is just as important in a different way.”
Melissa Nicholson is Director of Development for VCP.
“People comment on those chairs every time they visit,” said. “The chairs truly help make us a community.”
VCP Director of Operations James Cianciaruso and Operations Coordinator Dave Myers both visited Center’s woodshop during the semester.
“Despite everything they are going through, our veterans have a place to relax and gain peace of mind,” said Meyers.“Our veterans ask, but we have to tell them that they can’t take the chair when they leave.”
The Veterans Community Project Village is located at 1201 E. 89th St. Learn more at vcp.org.
