NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -
A nonprofit group dedicated to teaching young adults about construction now has its own rebuilding to do.
The William Patton Jr. Foundation building was badly damaged early Monday in a fire on Fisk Street.
Officials said a crew at a nearby fire station first spotted black smoke in the area at about 6 a.m., and fire officials are working to determine the cause of the fire.
It comes at a tough time for the group, which is still trying to rebound from the down housing market.
Allison Patton has been volunteering at her father's foundation since she was a young child.
"When I got here it was so surreal, because when I grew up, I was here all the time and I'm here all the time now," she said.
The fire gutted the inside of the foundation building. William Patton Jr. started the nonprofit back in 2001, and he taught young adults ages 18-24 in construction trade and ran an after-school program for kids. Many of those students have been able to start construction careers right out of high school.
The Pattons have been going through some difficult years, as construction jobs and funding have been hard to come by. Last year, they stopped classes in order to devote more time to pursuing grant money.
"My dad worked so hard to do this and he's done so much for the community, so it's hard," Allison Patton said.
If you would like to assist the organization recover and rebuild, contact:
William Patton Jr. Foundation
503 Fisk Street Nashville, TN 37203
615-522-7701
http://wpjrf.com
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