The JD Lipa Fund was approved by the JARC, Associate and JADC Boards and is designed to:

• Provide targeted support for veterans participating in JARC’s Careers in Manufacturing Programs

• Help us expand and improve our outreach to the veteran community

• Offer friends and colleagues an opportunity to donate in JD’s memory to help create a lasting impact

JD’s family has shared how much he valued JARC—and how meaningful it is that this fund will help fellow veterans gain skills, stability, and opportunity through the programs he helped build.

While the launch of the JD Lipa Fund will not be a public event, we will gather on Wednesday, June 18 at JARC’s Ravenswood Training Center for an intimate celebration with JD’s family, colleagues, and friends.

This is a moment of reflection and appreciation, celebrating JD’s role not just in JARC’s story, but in the lives and futures of so many people who walked through our doors.

The JD Lipa Fund is just the beginning. As we look toward Veterans Day and Memorial Day, we plan to elevate this initiative with deeper storytelling, community partnerships, and awareness campaigns. It’s our way of ensuring JD’s legacy continues to inspire others and expand access to manufacturing careers for those who’ve served our country.

How You Can Support the JD Lipa Fund

If you’d like to honor JD’s legacy, we welcome contributions of any size to the JD Lipa Fund. Your donation will go directly toward supporting veterans in our training programs and ensuring JARC remains a place of opportunity, dignity, and transformation.

To learn more or donate, visit https://jarctraining.org/donation/ and select “JD Lipa Fund”.

Let’s continue the work JD believed in, with the same heart, integrity, and drive that defined his life.

We have also solicited our employer partners to join us in this call to action, believing that: 

– Social justice should be an initiative of all and not just an internal cause

– DEI and Racial Equity trainings are important for our employer partners to embrace

– Doing our part against these injustices includes educating the organizations in which we partner with.

In order to continue our efforts and ensure that once our clients are entering workplaces that not only values racial equity and inclusion, but have tools and policies in place to implement throughout their workforce.  

–    Annie E. Casey Foundation : George Floyd’s death, nationwide protests and the work ahead

–    Marriam Asefa Fund: Equity, Diversity & Inclusion – World Education Services (wes.org)

–    Union Pacific: DEI-journey-never-ending

–    United Way: United-way-worldwide-statement-on-equity-and-justice

–    US Bank: US Bank Investing in and supporting the community

–    The Weinberg foundation: weinbergfoundation.org-foundation-statements

–    Fry Foundation: Response-pandemic-and-racial-inequity

Philanthropic Initiatives

 – Wells Fargo: Announced a $60 billion lending commitment to create at least 250,000 African American homeowners by 2027, directly addressing the lower homeownership rates in the African American community. $60 Billion Lending commitment

– US Bank: Access Commitment will focus on three primary areas: supporting businesses owned by people of color, helping individuals and communities of color advance economically and enhancing career opportunities for employees and prospective employees. Access-commitment

– City of Chicago: Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice today launched a new citywide initiative – “Together We Heal” – a campaign aimed at building racial healing across Chicago. The goals of the initiative are to empower all Chicagoans to engage in activities fostering connection, restoration and learning at this time of racial reckoning for both the city and the nation. Alongside six anchor partners, Together We Heal announced a community challenge to activate residents from every neighborhood in Chicago to participate in candid conversations, healing circles, and other activities. TogetherWeHeal

– Capital one: Capital One is announcing an initial pledge of $10 million to organizations advancing the cause of social justice for Black communities. This pledge builds on our recent commitment of $50 million to support long-standing non-profit partners struggling to pursue their core missions in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, including many organizations dedicated to meeting the most pressing needs of the Black community. Justice-black-communities

Not only is it a personal portfolio of his progress and learning, but it’s also a valuable resource for others who may be interested in CNC training but are unsure of what to expect.

“I created the site to showcase my experience and also help future students know what to expect from the CNC program,” Bill said. He views CNCGuide.org as a way to demystify the CNC training process, helping others see what kinds of challenges and opportunities they might encounter if they decide to follow a similar path. The blog provides insights into the day-to-day realities of the program, from studying blueprints to mastering complex machinery.

Bill is committed to regularly updating CNCGuide.org with new content, reflecting on each week’s lessons and challenges. He hopes that his blog will not only inspire others to pursue careers in CNC but also serve as a helpful reference for current students who might be struggling with the material.

CNCGuide.org’s Future and Bill’s Vision

Looking ahead, Bill plans to keep CNCGuide.org alive and thriving even after he completes his CNC training. His goal is to expand the site’s offerings, providing more in-depth articles and resources on CNC, reviews of routers and machines, and possibly even sponsorships. “The plan is to create more articles and have more information and resources,” Bill said. He envisions the site becoming a valuable resource not just for students but also for professionals and hobbyists interested in CNC machining.

In addition to sharing his own experiences, Bill hopes to attend industry events like the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) and document those as well. These kinds of events will allow him to showcase the latest innovations in the CNC world and further enhance his blog’s appeal to a wider audience. “It’ll be a great way to showcase the conference and what companies are there,” he said.

Documenting Challenges and Achievements

One of the most rewarding aspects of maintaining CNCGuide.org, Bill noted, is the way it forces him to recall and consolidate what he’s learned. “The benefit is that it makes you remember and recall the stuff you learn in the exercises, in the blueprints, in the tools,” Bill explained. Writing about his experiences helps him solidify his knowledge and ensures that he doesn’t forget the technical details that are crucial in CNC machining.

He shared one particularly challenging experience in his training—the NIMS (National Institute for Metalworking Skills) blueprint exercise. “It took me about a week and a half to finish, but I completed it,” Bill said. The exercise required him to apply everything he had learned in the program up to that point, from blueprint reading to working with wax and metal blocks. This experience was not only a milestone in his training but also became a key feature on his blog, serving as an example of the level of dedication and skill required in CNC machining.

Take Erika, for example, a mother of three who worked part-time while attending JARC’s CNC Fast Track Program. She is now employed full-time as a Machine Operator at a large manufacturer in the western suburbs. Similarly, Yvette, a mother of one, was stuck in a low-skilled manufacturing job and turned to JARC to enhance her skills. She now works full-time, earning nearly $17 an hour, and cherishes her afternoons and evenings with her daughter.

We extend a very happy Mother’s Day to the many mothers who have come through our doors! Your dedication and hard work inspire us, and we are proud to support you on your journey to success.