Eatonia resident is helping veterans with Purple Heart Project
By Joan Janzen
An Eatonia man is helping with a unique non-profit endeavour called the Purple Heart Project. Brett Becker explained the project helps veterans deal with physical or mental injuries by teaching them traditional hand-tool woodworking and providing them with the necessary tools and workbench. That’s where Brett comes into the picture.
The project is part of the Bench Brigade, which conducts a non-profit woodworking workshop for veterans. Two years ago, they put out a notice looking for people in Western Canada who would build workbenches, and Brett sent them an email.
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He talked to Rob Cosman, a furniture builder based out of Nova Scotia, who runs the project. “Rob has been a woodworker for years and wanted to do something for veterans,” Brett said. Rob began putting on woodworking tutorials on YouTube, and he noticed woodworking helped vets with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
“Working with their hands gives them a mental break as they focus on something,” Brett said. Rob began asking for donations to conduct workshops for the vets and provide them with the necessary tools and workbench.
Although there are quite a few volunteers in the United States who build benches, there are only three volunteers in western Canada. “I’ve been doing it for two years,” Brett said. “I’ve built two benches so far. We alternate building benches between the three of us in western Canada.”
Brett receives a call telling him about a vet who is taking the course. “I had about a month and a half notice to build the last one, but last time I got less notice because someone who was supposed to build the bench had injured his shoulder,” he explained. The project coordinators want a bench ready for the veterans when they arrive home from their course so they can begin building and using their new skills.
“When I get the call, I buy the material, and Rob sends a vice to go on the bench. I donate the lumber, time and deliver the bench personally to the veteran,” he said. He estimated it took him approximately 48 hours to finish completing a workbench. “They send the plans, as we want them all built the same way.”
It’s the responsibility of the builder to either buy the lumber or get donations for the lumber.
The veterans are flown to Nova Scotia for a week, where a group of fourteen attend the classes. “The next class has three people from western Canada, and the rest come from all over the world,” Brett said. The project just keeps on growing in size and impact.
Participants in the classes learn how to make wood projects using hand tools. “It’s the old-school way of doing things,” Brett said. “They make whatever they’re interested in. The idea is to get their minds off of stuff.”
Volunteering his time and skills is a rewarding experience for the Eatonia resident. “The experience is pretty much unmatched by anything I’ve ever done before. You deliver it, and they’re very appreciative,” he said. “They say taking the course has been life changing because after leaving the military, they are left floundering for a bit. The two guys I met tell you their stories. As a civilian, it’s hard to listen to their stories, let alone go through it personally.”
The Purple Heart Project enables volunteers to help Canadian veterans while doing something they love. Other Canadian individuals and groups are encouraged to get involved; it’s a fulfilling activity for the volunteers.
If anyone is interested in helping or donating, they can visit the robcosman.com website.