Volunteer Spotlight
During the past 23 years, Bob Jones has taken on a wide variety of challenges at Pierceton Woods Academy. But what’s stayed consistent is his passion for the organization’s mission and his commitment to the young men he works with.
During the past 23 years, Bob Jones has taken on a wide variety of challenges at Pierceton Woods Academy. But what’s stayed consistent is his passion for the organization’s mission and his commitment to the young men he works with.
Bob’s initial role at Pierceton Woods was as a youth treatment specialist, working directly with students and overseeing their daily schedules. Later, Bob became the food service coordinator. And today, he serves as Facilities and Vocational Director.
It’s been a journey with several twists and turns, but Bob says it’s a great match for his experience as a “jack of all trades.”
“This job has afforded me the ability to develop and become the person I am today. It’s been pretty incredible.”
Bob’s experience also reflects the growth of Pierceton Woods Academy over the years. While he and his fellow staff members have challenging jobs, he says it’s been gratifying to see the opening of the new facility in 2008 and the launch of the program he now leads. Perhaps the most fulfilling aspect of his work, Jones notes, is seeing Pierceton Woods students improve their self-worth and find purpose as they learn new skills. Through the vocational program, students have been involved in ambitious projects, like working in a greenhouse, preparing meals, designing and constructing benches for the Town of Pierceton, and repairing lawnmowers and power tools. These skills allow graduates to successfully transition into the workforce, college, or the military.
“The vocational program creates an environment where people with no career experience or limited experience find a passion,” he says. “Whether small engines, landscaping, or food service, often the big takeaway is self-efficacy and resilience. We’re investing in these young men in a way that others haven’t.”
This idea—providing students with support and experiences otherwise unavailable to them—is at the heart of Bob’s work. He explains that the young men served by Pierceton Woods Academy are products of incredibly difficult environments, but they’re otherwise a lot like most kids their age.
“These boys haven’t had the same opportunities many of us have when we’re young, and they don’t have male role models. They have the same likes, dislikes, skills, and interests as their peers, but they don’t have the same support or coping skills. That’s the gap that PWA fills. Our team has a desire to help them feel valued and give them a new path forward.”
It’s hard work, and the success stories enabled by Pierceton Woods are hard won. But what ultimately drives Bob is an unyielding faith.
“I think the thing that makes my work so rewarding is knowing, given we’re a faith-based organization, that I’m pouring into something that has eternal impact,” Bob says. “I get a chance to positively impact people’s lives, and the camaraderie of working with other people who feel the same way is the reason I stay. God can do incredible things.”
