Training helping hands for the community
The mission to help others is a quality that’s practically innate for Mike Burr.
Growing up locally as the son of a single mom, Burr was greatly influenced by his grandfather, a veteran.
“He just took the initiative to teach me as a country boy,” he says. “He could do numerous things, like carpentry, riding horses, fishing, hunting. He was always building something. … I wish I could recap with him, sit down and talk with him right now.”
But Burr’s grandfather also taught him how to live by a diligent work ethic and to show respect.
“I thank God that those were the things that I’ve learned and still have with me today,” he adds.
And now Burr is passing along those same life skills as a mentor to youth in Chesterfield County through his Co-Laborer Trade School. It’s been a 20-year vision, he says, to offer young folks a fast-track option to learn skills and prepare them for the workforce. Burr also comes from a background working in ministry outreach and prison ministry for the past 20 years.
“Once a kid taps into something that they really like doing, and you encourage them and let them know that they can do this the rest of your life and you can get paid for it,” he says. “It’s really important to prevent them from getting in trouble in the first place.”
Burr says he also understands that not everyone is cut out for traditional college education, so he tries to guide youth toward the trades that interest them for a better future, such as carpentry, plumbing, welding, truck, driving, heavy equipment operation and more.
“I tell them that they can also save themselves a lot of money, and still make the community better by having working people here,” he says.
For now, the nonprofit apprenticeship program is need of funding for the development of a building on Burr’s 10 acres of land in the country, so folks of all ages and abilities can take advantage of the opportunities at the Co-Laborer Trade School, which includes the path to getting accredited or certified in a specialized trade. Burr is currently trying to drum up support from the community through local businesses, churches and schools to come together.
“These kids are learning these skills and able to go out into the communities where you’ve got elderly people that can’t do stuff around the house,” says Burr. “This is a mission with compassion for people in need of painting or fixing their porch, building handicap ramps and stuff like that. That is the heart of compassion.
For more information on how to volunteer or donate to Burr’s Co-Laborer Trade School, visit https://www.facebook.com/CoLaborerTradeSchool.
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