One of the Guild’s primary objectives is to help charitable causes through our woodworking skills. Here are some of the service projects that we have completed over the years. If you would like to get involved with working on a charitable project while learning from other Guild members, contact our Charitable Projects Director.
Currently to work around the COVID pandemic for communal workdays, toy building is a year-long event with plans on our Toys for Kids page. The Guild also provided plans for members in building Flag Cases for veterans.
2021
100+ toys were donated to United Way of Atlanta in January 2021. Members Gary Fader and Terry Kelly lead the toy building effort.
If you’d like to participate, please visit the Toys for Kids page.
2020
The pandemic impacted our toy building workdays. As a workaround, members were encouraged to build toys in their shops using the Toys for Kids plans. The Guild did have a limited attendance workday in December at Woodcraft
2019
In December, the Guild delivered 50 toy trucks and 44 hand cut puzzles along with crayons to the Craddock Center in Cherry Log, Georgia. The Craddock Center provides support to preschool age children 3 to 5 years of age in North Georgia. Board members Gary Feld and Nuane Neely presented the donation.
The toy truck and puzzle components were fabricated by Guild members at their home workshops. Final assembly occurring during the regular Guild September 2019 meeting at Woodcraft in Roswell.
Pam Colvin and Gary Fader, January 2020 Newsletter
2018
The Guild delivered 50 toy trucks and 60 wooden puzzles to The Children’s Hospital of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. Board members Gary Fader, Jim Wright and Nuane Neely presented the gifts.
The toy truck and puzzle components were fabricated by Guild members at their home workshops. Final assembly occurring during the regular Guild September 2019 meeting at Woodcraft in Roswell.
2017
Toy building was completed over the summer of 50 toy trucks and 60 wooden puzzles for The Children’s Hospital of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. Ten members build at Woodcraft with 30 members finished at the October Guild meeting.
2016
Working with Artisan Care and Action Ministries, the Guild build 11 tables to benefit formerly homeless veterans to provide furniture. Peach State Lumber provided the stock with members milling, cutting and shaping the table components. Assembly happened at the March Woodworking Show in the Guild’s booth. Final sanding and finish were completed at Woodcraft. Board members Nuane Neely and Joe Rodriguez presented the tables to Action Ministry.
Other Service Projects prior to 2015
Toy Builds
The Guild built and delivered 200 wooden toys to The Children’s Hospital of Atlanta at Scottish Rite over 2009 and 2010.
Life Legacy Boxes
The Guild embarked on a multiyear effort supporting the Life Legacy Box Project in 2012. This non-profit organization provides hand-crafted wooden boxes to hospice patients and their families. The intent is to acknowledge a life well spent, facilitate gathering, storing and passing on their treasured mementos and messages for current and future generations in a beautiful box.
Guild members built more that 100 Life Legacy Boxes over two years. Both Rockler and Woodcraft supported the box project.
Ken Slaughter Project
Learn more about the Ken Slaughter Box Project for Dr Joel Rachelson.
Faith and Destiny Story Project
The Faith and Destiny Box Project honors twins.
Bat Boxes
The Guild has supported bat house builds in Woodstock and Vinings in 2010 and 2012.
Flag Cases
After the 9/11 terror attacks, the Guild joined a national effort with other guilds in building flag cases for the victims. This effort was organized by regions with the southeast contributing 152 cases. Our Guild built 85 plus cases. This project concluded in 2002.
Mountaintop Boys Home
The Guild won the 2000 Minwax Community Craftsman Award for its involvement with community projects. The board decided to use the $5,000 in prize money to further build out the wood shop at the Boys’ Home in Sugar Valley, GA, with selected power tools and a dust collection system. The shop was an integral to the vocational and educational effort for these in the juvenile justice system to earn a GED. In 2004, Boys’ Home mission and residency approach changed, and the school was closed. The Guild continued to support the home by building beds for new dormitories.
Awards
2012 Second Prize Award: Minwax® Do Good With Wood
A $2,000 cash grant and a supply of Minwax® products was awarded to the Woodworkers Guild of Georgia, based in Atlanta, GA. The guild members are being recognized for their work on behalf of the Life Legacy Box Project for patients in hospice care. Started by doctors, nurses, and caregivers, the Life Legacy Box Project provides handcrafted wooden boxes for hospice patients to house special papers and mementos that they want to leave to their loved ones. Woodworkers, health professionals, and other volunteers work with the hospice patients and their families and friends to create and distribute the boxes as a means for honoring, preserving, and passing down one’s life legacy.
2000 Grand Prize Winner: Minwax® Do Good With Wood
The Woodworkers Guild of Georgia received a $5,000 cash grant and a supply of Minwax® products. The Guild members are seen here working on projects with boys from the Mountain Top Boys’ Home. Since it was founded in 1980, the Mountain Top Boys’ Home has provided education and social nurturing to boys ages 14 thru 17 that have been adjudicated by the courts. In 2000, a wood shop was completed with updated equipment, and an outstanding vocational education program was installed by volunteers from the Woodworkers Guild of Georgia.
