The Cement Masonry trade program overseen by Instructor Mike Sharp, braved the bitter cold of an Indiana Winter to assist the non-profit organization Love Chapel and the City of Columbus in the renovation of an old city garage into a new emergency shelter for the homeless population. On this day many school systems had closed because of the conditions. Our students were indoors and out of direct exposure to the weather, but it was important that the trainees received this real-life experience. Not every day on the job will be in desirable conditions. The trainees kept warm with their labor by digging out trench areas for plumbing lines to be installed under the concrete floor. Once the plumbing is ran, the masons will then fill in the trenches with dirt, and pour new cement flooring. They managed to accomplish a lot of work in two days. Work that would not have been able to have been done without the skilled labor of our cement trainees efforts. Non-profits that rely on volunteer labor, and many times can find individuals with specific skills. This type of partnership allows our trainees to receive real-life, hands on training in a real work environment and in this case the community of Columbus will benefit with a new safe place for the homeless to gather. Especially on cold days like the ones our cement masons dedicatedly worked through!