College of Lake County Students Revamp Disaster Relief Trailer

From College of Lake County: Twenty-seven students from the College of Lake County’s automotive collision repair program have helped improve area disaster-relief efforts, donating time and materials to restore and paint an equipment trailer used by a volunteer disaster-response team from locally-based Journey Church.

The newly restored trailer, known as the Response Unit, received a makeover that went beyond a new paint job. For several weeks this spring, CLC students replaced old, rusty bolts with new ones, and they sandblasted away the old paint before giving the trailer a new coat of white, said Octavio Cavazos, chair of CLC’s automotive collision repair department. Besides upbeat graphics, the tagline, “Hope in Every Storm,” appears in large capital letters.

“We could not have done this without CLC,” said Jeff Berard, response-team director for Journey Church, which has congregations in Kenosha, Burlington, Wis. and Beach Park, Ill. “The trailer becomes someone’s hope, announcing that help has arrived, whether getting water out of a flooded basement or gathering belongings after a tornado. The students did a wonderful job of turning an old trailer into a work of art. They also expanded their knowledge and learned a little more on how to navigate successfully in life by serving their fellow human beings.”

The trailer houses generators, power tools, safety equipment and other items used by Journey’s newly formed response team. Designed to serve communities in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, the team so far has helped families in Madison, Wis. recover from flooding, and they have assisted a Racine family whose house was destroyed by fire. The pool of about 100 volunteers will be trained by area fire and emergency-management professionals in basics of helping local authorities in any disaster, working in shifts of about 20 to 25 per disaster. “After the first responders have finished their work during and immediately after a disaster, our volunteers come in and help with the recovery process and long-term support for individuals and families who have been affected,” said Ray Knight, a leader of the team. “We coordinate our efforts with emergency-management professionals, and the work of our team fills a definite gap.”

CLC President Lori Suddick, Ed.D., said, “This joint effort between Journey Church and our automotive collision repair program is a great example of the college’s core principles, to deliver high-quality, accessible learning opportunities to advance student success and strengthen the diverse communities we serve.”

Offering students a practical, service-learning opportunity to apply their skills is a “win-win” for all parties, noted Dr. Richard Ammon, dean of CLC’s Engineering, Math and Physical Sciences division. “Our college is in the transformation business,” he said. “Students who learn practical career skills are more valuable to themselves, their families and their community.”

One student who found the trailer-restoration project rewarding is Alexander Arce, a Wauconda resident majoring in automotive collision repair. “It was really cool to work with others, represent the college and make a difference,” said Arce, who plans to earn an A.A.S. degree in 2020 and find a job in a collision repair shop. “It was also pretty fun.”

To learn more about the Journey Disaster Team, visit www.journeydrt.com. For details on CLC’s automotive collision repair program, visit www.clcillinois.edu/programs/acr.

Fall classes begin Aug. 19. To view course offerings and learn how to become a CLC student, visit www.clcillinois.edu/fall.