MEADOWBROOK - A group of seven Southwestern Illinois College students in the CEJA (Climate and Equitable Jobs Act) program recently constructed a new front porch at the home of veteran Dave Stout in Meadowbrook, providing hands-on training for the students and a new porch for a longtime member of the local veteran community.
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Stout is a Marquette Catholic graduate who enlisted in the Air Force in 1965, served as a radio operator during the Vietnam War in 1968 and 1969 and went on to complete a 22.5-year military career. He later served as commander of Alton VFW Post 1308 in 2005 and 2006, ultimately becoming Illinois VFW state commander, and led the Alton VFW Honor Guard for many years.
The project at the Stout home was completed through instructor Jason Thompson’s vocational skills class at Southwestern Illinois College.
“It is a class from SWIC teaching kids skills that they can convert into something as they get older as a career,” Stout said.
Stout said Thompson, a friend of his, teaches the class at SWIC.
“This is a step to get them in the right direction for the rest of their lives,” Stout said. “It is a very worthwhile program. They were good kids who worked hard, and it was hot while they worked over the couple of days. We really appreciated it.”
“It was not easy to build,” Stout added. “I am now in the process of putting a guard rail around it. It is really nice they came out and did that.”
Thompson said seven students, all 18 and older, participated in the project through Southwestern Illinois College’s CEJA program.
“It was a great experience for them,” Thompson said. “I am an instructor at SWIC, and I thought this would be a good project for them. We want the projects to teach them hands-on learning and out in the field.”
Thompson said most of the students are looking to get into a local union and that this was their first field project.
The students’ work gave Stout and his wife, Mona, what he described as “a beautiful new front porch where we can relax, enjoy the outdoors.”
Stout praised the students as “a very hard-working group of young men and women” and said their efforts were “a great example for their generation.”
