BAVTS Auto Collision Repair instructor Mr. Gruschow had an idea recently. The idea was try to get an old car donated to his class so that his class could fix it up and then donate the refinished car to a United States veteran of war in honor of her service to our country.

"The concept of it is that we're trying to find a meaningful project to do for the community and the class in Votech so the students can help people while learning their trade," Gruschow explained.

In response to what inspired him to do this project, Gruschow replied, "I had actually seen on the Collision Repair Education Foundation's website that they were holding a charity event to donate a free car."

Another reason Gruschow wants to pursue this project is that he believes this would be a good model of citizenship for his students.

His students seem to agree.

"I think it's a good learning experience in a work environment," Bailey Clark said. "Plus we're helping out someone in need."

"It's a pretty good learning base for indivuals and it'll teach student how to operate in a group and we're going to be helping out someone who needs it in the process," Zane Koplin added.

The class is currently looking for a vehicle for donation and is calling all around the Lehigh Valley for someone to help. So if you know someone with a car they'd be willing to donate, please contact Gruschow at the Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School.

Caring for troops

Mr. Sullivan, BAVTS carpentry instructor, is spearheading a charity project for the community in which people are asked to donate miscellaneous small goods to send as care packages to the brave people serving our country overseas in deployment.

"I've had a lot of friends and families in the military and I want to do everything in my power to help them as I feel they're under appreciated," Sullivan explained.

He said he had helped build a house for a World War II vet through 'Homes for Our Troops' up in Scotts Township in 2012.

He also thought it would be a good thing for the students to experience, not just as a project, but a chance to do something good for someone else.

"I wanted to get the students involved to show them what it'd be like to do something good for the vets," he said.

Students will be administered a pre-survey on how they felt about being part of the charity project and helping America's troops. After all the donations have been shipped, then the students will be surveyed again. The idea is to make students aware of the difference they can make in other people's lives.

According to one veteran, the items that are most wanted by deployed soldiers are beef jerky and flavored water packets like Lipton. Mostly just things that can be preserved and will last awhile on the field.

The work of Sullivan and his students is a gesture of kindness and appreciation to the brave people in service overseas who are fighting on behalf of all Americans.