Hi,
I am reaching out to the modeling community to if you can support a project that involves working with at risks teens.
I am an avid modeler, and have been for years. Recently I have become involved with a local community level group working with "at risk" teens. We are a local group based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, comprised of people possessing various skills and talents. We volunteer our time and skills to teens that have an interest. There are guys that have strong backgrounds in mechanics, and small engine repair - these guys will work with teens who have an interest in mechanics. I offer my time to teens who have an interest in history and modeling, my group is one of the smallest, but the teens that I have are evolving into very good modelers. These kids can't afford to buy much, so I try to keep a stock of kits for them to work with, thus when I see a good deal I jump on it.
My group is small, three to four, but very dedicated, I have three that I get together with a lot, and the fascination with history is great. I started them off just by building a model, this has inspired them to ask a lot of questions, which leads me to introduce history into the mix. As they read about events and the equipment they find pictures and read of accounts and decide to model the event. Then we get more technical, and I get them airbrushing, it blows me a away at how good they get in such a short time with the airbrush. That is my next investment, I want to get a couple of good workhorse airbrushes, as I share my airbrush and compressor with all of them.
I am always looking for a good deal on kits, as I support this from my own wallet. If there are any 1/48 kits in your collection/stock that you are able to donated to our cause it would be greatly appreciated, supplies (paint/glue etc) are always needed, as are detail sets, diorama supplies, and even books/reference material - I am not asking for anything new and expensive, more along the lines of kits that are shelved and you don't see yourself ever getting to them, or if from a shop, kits that aren't able to be sold for one reason or another, damaged packaging, factory seconds etc. We work in 1/48 scale, both air and armor, this is a great scale to work with, air and ground can be combined, prices are reasonable, and the kits build up well. I have found 1/72 can represent both air and land, but it is a tougher scale to get started with in my opinion. 1/35 is very nice, but cost prohibitive for me.
Thanks for any support that can be offered, even if just words of encouragement, as there are some days that I wonder if I am going to make a difference. If anyone would like to start a similar group, let me know and I can tell you how I have started off.