Recently I volunteered for Rob Cosman's Purple Heart Project's (PHP) Bench Brigade. Rob started the PHP to introduce combat-wounded veterans the joy and serenity of hand tool woodworking. The PHP (www.thepurpleheartproject.org) is completely donation-driven, and through the program, the PHP awards scholarships to deserving veterans which includes transportation to Rob's Grand Bay, New Brunswick, Canada shop, lodging and meals, and a week of 7 AM to 7 PM hand tool woodworking instruction. When the vets depart for home with (last I heard) $4 - $4.5k worth of "Communized" hand woodworking tools (saws, planes, marking gauges, shooting boards, etc.), they have the knowledge and skills to hit the ground running. The only problem was that the vets would come home to a shop (garage, shed, basement, whatever) that in many cases included no bench to work on. That's where the Bench Brigade comes in.
The Bench Brigade is composed of volunteers like me all over the U.S. and Canada who build benches to the Rob Cosman specifications for these heroes, then delivers them to the veteran's home or shop. I had the pleasure of building a bench for a retired United States Marine named Michael. This was a fun project that was made easier by a great local company in Cedarburg, Wisconsin - Zuern Building Products and Design Center (www.zuerns.com). I cannot thank them enough for their generosity in donating all the lumber and a portion of the hardware for the project. Special thanks to Hayden Proefrock at Zuern for coordinating this awesome gift - THANK YOU Hayden!
So enjoy the video and please consider donating to the Purple Heart Project, which incidentally, is now an approved charity under the Combined Federal Campaign!
Thanks for watching and reading.
Rich
6 июл 2024
