Deere donation helps start welding program at Arrowhead Ranch

Anthony Campbell is blunt about his life and some of the bad decisions he has made. “I was headed down the wrong path. … If it wasn’t for this place, I would probably be in prison or something else,” the 20-year-old said during a Wednesday, Feb. 15, celebration at Arrowhead Ranch. The facility located near […]

Anthony Campbell is blunt about his life and some of the bad decisions he has made. “I was headed down the wrong path. … If it wasn’t for this place, I would probably be in prison or something else,” the 20-year-old said during a Wednesday, Feb. 15, celebration at Arrowhead Ranch. The facility located near Coal Valley, Illinois. is also known as Arrowhead Youth & Family Services. That celebration focused on an area that especially helped Mr. Campbell – Arrowhead’s welding program. About 30 people attended a Quad Cities Chamber ribbon-cutting ceremony to thank John Deere & Co. for donating money to restart welding activities there. Deere donated about $50,000 so Arrowhead could buy new welding equipment to help the young people served by Arrowhead, said Luis S. Moreno, CEO of Arrowhead. Arrowhead is a private, nonprofit treatment facility serving at-risk youth aged 12-21, and is located at 12200 104th St., Coal Valley. One of the young people helped by the program is Mr. Campbell, who is a recent graduate of Arrowhead and now a professional welder. “This gets (at-risk young people) off the streets. They learn new things. … There’s always a second chance with this program,” Mr. Campbell added. During the ceremony, eight welding booths – all separated by red plastic barriers – were on display for business leaders and Arrowhead officials attending the event inside the ranch’s William E. Nelson Auto Center. Mr. Campbell also showed his skills by giving a welding demonstration.

The welding program is especially important because it gives young people at Arrowhead training for a career path, said a Deere official at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “This is something they can be passionate about. … These boys will have quite a future now,” said David Ottavianelli, director of workforce and community development with Deere & Co. In addition to leading to well-paying employment, the act of welding can be a therapeutic activity, according to an Arrowhead staff member. “It is work on their inner selves. …. Welding is relaxing to many of them,” said Kevin Roesner, director of maintenance and facilities at Arrowhead. Mr. Roesner added that there are eight young people in the program and several more on a waiting list to get into welding. The welding equipment at Arrowhead has been in place for about a year and a half. The equipment came to Arrowhead as a result of a partnership developed with employees from John Deere Davenport Works. Deere employees have been visiting Arrowhead as part of a student outreach program since October 2020. “The employees noticed our weld equipment was outdated and offered to help provide new equipment,” according to information from Arrowhead. “Without John Deere, this would not have been possible. … We now have everything kids need to get started,” said Mr. Moreno, adding that Arrowhead had a welding program in the 1980s, and the Deere donation has made it possible to restart the activity on a much bigger scale. He added that the welding program is one of the tools and programs that will help Arrowhead achieve its ultimate goal – turning young people at its facility into responsible adults who will have healthy relationships and life skills. For Mr. Campbell, the welding program at Arrowhead helped him achieve those goals. “I love it. It could be a career for the rest of my life,” he said.