Army vet helps North Carolina veterans through woodworking

Army veteran Kurt Ballash turned his passion for woodworking into a way a to help other veterans heal through his non-profit, Artisan Outreach. The organization provides and teaches creative outlets, such as woodworking, to veterans, active duty military and family members.

“Woodworking kind of helped me come back from a really dark place in my life after getting out of the service, feeling like I didn’t have a purpose, I didn’t fit in anywhere — I kind of didn’t know what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. [...] When I was faced with that confidence boost that I was getting out of woodworking, me and my wife really started discussing how we can make a difference in the community.” - Kurt Ballash