Cardinal Cushing Centers

Every Thursday starting at 9am you can find Mike Collins behind the Cushing Centers’ Greenhouse, smiling, slightly covered in sawdust. Mike volunteered at Cardinal Cushing Centers when he was in high school, back in the 1970’s. Now that he is semi-retired he has come full circle and is back volunteering with the students once a week. Mike does woodworking and is quite talented. All of the wood products featured in the Cushing Trader are hand-made and painted by Mike and his students. Not only do the students have the satisfaction of making a finished product for sale when working with Mike, they also learn important lessons in safety and how to properly handle saws, drills and other tools. Dave Kramer, Teacher at Cardinal Cushing Centers who also runs the Trader says “Mike is one of the best volunteers I have ever worked with. The students like him, and he is always organized and prepared.” After meeting Mike once, it’s not hard to see why he has such a rapport with the students: “They make me laugh. I leave here everyday with a smile on my face.”