CREF extends deadline for accepting entries for 3M Hire our Heroes grants

Based on broad interest in the 3M Hire Our Heroes program and national support from America’s top collision centers, 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division is extending the deadline for collision repair training grants for America’s returning veterans. 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division launched the 3M Hire Our Heroes campaign at the 2012 SEMA Show to help provide training and support for the nation’s returning veterans and their families. 3M is partnering with the Collision Repair Education Foundation

to provide grants and support for collision repair training, and ultimately to drive employment in the collision repair industry for America’s returning veterans. Grants are still available for qualifying returning veterans.  Grants may be used for tuition, school fees, tools, textbooks and equipment at qualifying technical schools. For additional information and to apply, visit www.CollisionEducationFoundation.org. “We have had an incredible response from collision repair facilities around the country who want to share this program with the returning veterans in their communities, and want to make sure we are allowing every interested veteran an opportunity to apply for the grants,” said Dale Ross, U.S. Marketing Operations Manager for 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division. “We are committed to helping repair facility owners and managers around the country get the capable, qualified repair professionals they need to perform at the high standards expected in today’s collision industry while honoring the tremendous service of our military men and women.”

3M and the Collision Repair Education Foundation recently announced the first round of award winners for the 3M Hire Our Heroes Campaign.  Fifty-nine grant winners, including 54 military members and five family members of veterans, were selected from applicants all across the United States.  Each recipient will receive a $2,500 grant to purchase tools and equipment needed to start their career in collision repair.
 
The 3M Hire Our Heroes program also will help fund rehabilitation for the wounded veterans through Operation Comfort’s Automotivation program, a unique automotive skill-based rehabilitation program. It provides opportunities for wounded soldiers to channel their automotive skills – or learn new ones – to restore vehicles through the NABC Recycled Rides program for other military veterans. The campaign will be raising funds for their new facility in San Antonio, Texas.  For more information on the Automotivation program, visit www.operationcomfort.org/automotivation.
 
The ultimate goal of the 3M Hire Our Heroes campaign is to support the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in raising awareness for hiring America’s heroes and help drive employment in the collision repair industry for these deserving veterans and their families. In addition, 3M is a national board member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Hiring Our Heroes program.  
 
For more information on the 3M Hire Our Heroes campaign, contact Ted Guck, 3M Automotive Aftermarket, at [email protected].  Body shop owners who would like to participate can contact their local distributor or 3M sales representative for details, or go to www.3mcollision.com/hire.
 
About 3M
3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $30 billion in sales, 3M employs about 88,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.
3M is a trademark of 3M Company.

Subscribe to ABRN and receive articles like this every month….absolutely free. Click here.