Woodworking programs in Colorado Springs teach more than woodworking skills.
Luke Robleski, director of Love Your Neighbor Services, teaches carpentry classes for adults with special needs at Chancel Rock Church on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month.
"They've become my favorite days of the month because when I'm here there's a lot of fun in the wood shop and we have a lot of fun," Roblski said.
The program began in February as a partnership between the nonprofit Love Your Neighbor and Special Kids Special Families.
"It came from the idea that we could actually do something about it," said Derek Wilson, director of development for Special Families for Special Children.
The classes were designed specifically for people in daycare, but Robleski decided to expand the program to the public as its popularity continued to grow.
"To be honest, we were a little nervous, we weren't sure how it was going to go," said Roblski. "But after a few sessions in the wood shop, it was clear we liked it."
Like classes with families with special children, public classes have room for up to eight participants of all ages.
"We'll see how it grows," Wrobleski said.
Classes are held in the church's woodworking studio, which Love Your Neighbor also uses to make bed frames for foster children. Robleski hopes some of the program's participants will apply their skills while helping with larger projects like bed frames.
"It's an opportunity to grow. They also love to give, and it's part of changing the face of disability." "They feel great because what they do helps someone else, because they often get a lot of help," Wilson said.
The two organizations found each other through mutual connections. A church volunteer who spoke with Wroblski about the special needs nonprofit.
"It was pretty surprising because after I finished talking to him, I checked my email," Wrobleski said. "I got an email from someone at Special Kids Special Family who said, "Hey, we love what you're doing. Is there any way to take our customers to your forest shop?"
After conceptualizing the project and solving various security protocols, Robleski was awarded the first class.
"It came from the idea that we could do something with it," Wilson said. "It was really big and it was a multiparty win."
Each class lasts about an hour, Wrobleski said. Participants complete a variety of projects in each class and learn safety skills and basic woodworking skills such as sanding, gluing, varnishing and nailing.
"On every project, they use sandpaper and sand the wood, so they can go to the wood shop and do something they don't really have a chance to do," Robleski said. "It's just laying the groundwork, but those are things that are often out of reach."
Everything participants need to complete the project is pre-packaged, so they're good to go when they enter. The store also has wheelchair and mobility accessible workstations so everyone can participate.
"They feel part of the community," Wilson said. "They've often gone from a place of dependence to independence, so they feel very good about it."
The ladybug frame might be one of the funnest projects the group has ever completed, Wroblski said. For this project, students snap a Polaroid as they enter the classroom and then design a ladybug-shaped frame to hold the photo.
"It was really fun to watch and they were really excited about it," Robleski said. "The next time they come, we have to ask, they're like, 'Wow, he's in my room, or he's sitting next to my TV at home.'
Participants not only learn valuable skills through the program, but they leave each class with more confidence, Wilson said.
“They build trust. They learn to follow directions, and while that may not be easy for many, it's a great skill in this community," Wilson said.
And the students will surely express their excitement.
“A few weeks ago a client in our special needs class, who was quite non-verbal, yelled several times, 'Hey! “I love it.
Both organizations hope to add volunteers to the program so they can serve more people.
"It's great to see their excitement in the woodshop because I often think marginalized people in society often don't have a voice. So it's great to see them go out and do something they really enjoy," Robleski said.
