Lockpicking Veterans Therapy Program- can you help?

[Doitall]

Good evening everyone. My name is Scott Hicks. A group of veterans in Grants Pass, Oregon called InspireVeterans are creating a veterans hobby shop. The shop space has been donated and we are currently putting the different areas of the shop together. We will be offering blacksmithing, bladesmithing, gunsmithing, auto mechanics, fabrication, ammunition reloading, and LOCKPICKING!!!

The concept of the hobby shop is to give local veterans a place to work on projects, learn new skills, have fun, and get support with issues such as ptsd, depression, anxiety, etc.

I am reaching out to your lockpicking forum community to find individuals or companies that would be willing to donate equipment for the lockpicking area. We are looking for locks, cores, tool kits, vices, pinning trays, picks, etc. I personally just have one set of picks and some random locks. However we would like to set up a full workbench for our veteran brothers and sisters so they can 1. Learn the lockpicking art 2. Upgrade their home security situations 3. Potentially have competitions at the shop 4. Potentially go as a group to some locksport events

For me picking locks is mentally challenging, calming/relaxing, and a lot of fun. Veterans also like a competition so giving them an opportunity to do something that many disabled veterans will be capable of to compete in would be great.

If you are willing to donate stuff to the InspireVeterans hobby shop please message me. If you have questions please ask.

[Squelchtone]

[EDIT: putting this in Locksport Local, doesn't really belong in the Locksmith Lounge]

[jimu57]

I make and sell practice locks on ebay. Lets talk. I may be able to donate cylinders, pinning kits. I am working on making wooden stands to hold mortise cylinders instead of having to buy a vise.

Jim

[Robotnik]

PM me your address; I'm up in Portland and can ship an assortment of lock cylinders and padlocks to you.

Had several family members serve in Iraq, so I appreciate what you're doing.

[Doitall]

I make and sell practice locks on ebay. Lets talk. I may be able to donate cylinders, pinning kits. I am working on making wooden stands to hold mortise cylinders instead of having to buy a vise.

Jim

Jim I saw Bosnianbill demo a mortise lock training kit from sparrows, you might want to look at their design. Looks fairly simple to build.

Thank you for your support in this endevor.
Imagine how much money I could raise by putting a swear jar on the lock desk... Bahahaha

[Doitall]

PM me your address; I'm up in Portland and can ship an assortment of lock cylinders and padlocks to you.

Had several family members serve in Iraq, so I appreciate what you're doing.

Thank you for your support and your families sacrafices for our country. I appreciate anything we can get.

I come up to portland at least every 3 months to go to the VA Hospital to see my Rheumatologist and other specialist doctors.

Im thinking about creating a youtube channel for the shop so we can post videos of the veterans working on projects, seminars, classes, etc.

[Squelchtone]

OP,

If you already have the space and some equipment in it and some programs already being taught, I would recommend sharing that as some of us want to help but would like to see this is a real program at a real place (currently the website doesn't seem to be up). We've had a couple people in the past approach us with the same request to send lock picks and locks for vets, and I know I would feel better sending things if I was sure it wasn't just gear being mailed to some guy with a heart string story. (not saying yours is, but we had a few folks in the past) and so I've grown cautious of requests for free picks and locks, the internet's a funny place, who knows what's real and isn't these days.

You mentioned lockpicking community individuals AND companies in your post. While some forums have manufacturers and sponsors hanging out on the forum, it's not that way here, although I'm pretty sure their employees visit the forum once in a while, but I do not believe we have official or active accounts from Peterson, HPC, or Southord, so it may work to your advantage to write a letter and include photos of vets working on projects at your space, and send that to folks like Ken at Peterson or the folks at Southord, perhaps they would be nice and send you a dozen pick sets and some practice locks.

Honestly though for locks, I'd hit up ebay or mrlock.com and get a dozen keyed alike Master No3 padlocks, a dozen keyed alike American Lock 5200 or 1305 padlocks, and go to home depot and get double sided Defiant deadbolts for $14 bucks, this way you get 2 locks in 1. A lot of us also go on ebay and get used cylinders and padlocks that way.

You may also want to check in with TOOOL.us (The Open Organization of Lockpickers) , and see if they do any outreach where they can have a locksport night at your space and they bring all the gear that people get to practice with, they usually have some stuff for sale for anyone who cares to buy their own tools or locks. Another vendor to contact is serepick.com He sells to operators. Perhaps he can help with gear.

I have a few things to donate as well.
Squelchtone

[billdeserthills]

If you are looking for padlocks that are keyed different, I have about 500 Abus padlocks in 6 varieties-- they are yours for $2 apiece and you pay shipping
the post office has a couple of good deals on priorty mail that is priced by volume, I would be happy to fill them up--all are brand new in the wrap