Congratulations to our participants!

They successfully completed their participation in the 2025-2026 Hood Huggers Foundation's Under Instruction Program ! 🎉

We're very proud of their commitment, perseverance, and growth. We celebrated the only way that felt right: pizza, a fun afternoon at Retrocade, and diplomas!

The Under Instruction Long-Term Recovery Cohort offers hands-on vocational training that empowers youth to develop real-world skills while supporting regional disaster recovery and housing resilience in communities impacted by Hurricane Helene.

Throughout the cohort, participants gained hands-on training in home repair, construction, and green building, along with real-world experience through disaster recovery and housing resilience projects. They received personalized support from dedicated case workers, earned stipends for consistent engagement and milestone achievement, and worked toward industry certifications including OSHA 10, First Aid/CPR, and NCCER.