Nick Offerman from Parks & Rec is using his carpentry skills to help at-risk young adults learn a valuable trade through a Los Angeles nonprofit called Would Works. The organization teaches woodworking to individuals facing challenges like housing and legal problems, giving them valuable skills for jobs in construction, carpentry, and set-building. Nick, who sits on the nonprofit’s board, supports fundraising efforts and sees the program as a place of empathy and opportunity.
Founded in 2012, Would Works got it's name after the founder Connor Johnson was working at a homeless shelter. He listened to their hopes and dreams and the obstacles they face every day. Time and again he would hear them say - I WOULD WORK... if I could.
Nick says Would Works holds 200 workshops per year around LA homeless shelters. When someone wants to join their program they receive more than just technical training but also life skills like teamwork and workplace communication. Trainees also create handcrafted items, which the organization sells to help fund its mission. Over the past 14 years thousands of people have transformed their lives from homeless to productive members of society.