CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — Sometimes you do what you can to make your community better. Jerry Powell, who owns Castle Rock Woodworks, is doing much more than that.
“This is kind of an all-hands-on-deck effort, whether we like it or no," he said.
Powell said he's pitching in by giving away custom-made, do-it-yourself building kits for kids. All you need is glue.
He's only asking for donations to help pay it forward.
“The whole idea is that these are supposed to be something easy and simple for parents," he said. "So the construction is very simple, just takes glue to put together and as you can see the kids have a great time painting them and it’s just a way to give the kids a hands-on activity and the parents a little break. And still throw in that little bit of education along the way while the kids are at home.”
Powell said he knows this current work stoppage and stay-at-home order is hurting his neighbors and it’s breaking his heart seeing the need first-hand.
"We’ve had grandparents picking up (the kits), crying saying, 'You know, my daughter is a single mother watching her four kids. We’re on a fixed income.' We’ve had mothers come in saying, 'I have $7 to my name.' So there are people that need the help, so we are giving these away. They don’t need to be purchased, but those who have been giving donations to help out cover the material cost is the reason why we can continue to do additional projects.”
Powell has done even more by providing these plans free of charge on the Internet to anyone who has the proper machine. At last count 17,000 of these wood building kids have been made in 18 countries around the world. Powell said everyone has a capacity to do something — this is what he says is the least he can do.
“We are not set up where we can do something like make masks or PPE equipment, things like that," he said. "We can’t contribute in that way so we pivoted and tried to find a way we can support the community, the parents, the school and the kids and this just seemed the best way to do that.”
If you would like to pick up a free building kit for your kid head to the Castle Rock Woodwork’s Facebook page and contact Jerry there.