In Barrio Logan, Workshops for Warriors (WFW) is doing something extraordinary: turning veterans and transitioning service members into nationally certified machinists and welders in just 16 weeks.
WFW is a local nonprofit that offers accelerated training in CNC machining and welding. Every student trains on state-of-the-art equipment and can earn nationally recognized industry credentials. Graduates meet directly with employers from across the country, and most secure full-time work within 90 days of graduation.
But behind those statistics are new beginnings and real lives changed by donors who will never meet the students they help, like Barry and Jeremy.
Barry grew up in San Diego, raised by a single mother and moving in and out of homelessness. After serving in the Army, he came home and found himself living on the streets. “Thinking about having a job, living in an apartment, paying bills, having a car… It was overwhelming,” he shared about that time in his life.
At Veterans Village of San Diego, Barry heard repeatedly about WFW and its machining program. He applied, was accepted, and threw himself into the CNC machining program. Barry graduated with 29 nationally recognized machining credentials and a job offer from a local manufacturing company – exactly the kind of high-skill, high-demand role donors make possible.
Jeremy grew up in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and joined the Navy as a culinary specialist. When he left the service in San Diego, the transition into civilian life was rough. His plan fell apart, and he struggled to see where he fit next. Interested in welding but unsure how to begin, Jeremy met a WFW recruiter and enrolled. What hooked him was the hands-on training. “I have never been to a school where you spend most of your time in the shop. While I am here, I am welding and learning,” he shared. Jeremy excelled, then attended the WFW career fair where he was offered a job within days. With his welding career launched, Jeremy talks about a lifelong path in a trade he loves.
For students like Barry and Jeremy, the barrier is not motivation – it is access. WFW’s programs are intensive and full-time. That means philanthropy is the bridge that allows veterans to focus on training and a new beginning instead of survival.
Gifts to WFW help to:
- Fund scholarships that cover tuition for intensive, 16-week CNC machining or welding programs.
- Maintain and upgrade industry-current equipment for hands-on training.
- Support wraparound services such as career coaching, employer networking, and housing and food assistance.
Since 2008, WFW has trained more than 1,600 veterans, transitioning service members, and civilians who have earned 20,000-plus nationally recognized manufacturing credentials. For San Diego donors, supporting WFW is not just a patriotic gesture – it is a strategic investment in the region’s workforce, America’s industrial base, and the futures of people who served.
To learn more about giving – whether through donor-advised funds, scholarships, or planned giving – visit www.WFW.org and help a veteran move from frontline to production line.
