DOTHAN, AL--For the past few weeks Robert Brooks along with 8 others have been adding a few changes to a historic building.

A window restoration company has hired locals to revamp the Old Young Jr. High School.

"They're gaining window skills, they're learning how to install them, how to remove them, how to restore them," said ASFCS Office manager Elizabeth Tiller.

Besides gaining those new skills, brooks says being a part of the project has a deeper meaning.

"It feels good to me cause I'm all about restoring and repairing because some people lives are like that, my life has been like that," said Robert Brooks.

Part of the restoration is funded through a Community Development Block Grant.
Those who work in the building say the renovation is necessary.

"There's an energy efficiency problem in the building.
There's also a lighting issue in the building, we teach classes in the building and right here behind me is our computer lab and the light was so bad that you couldn't see the computer screens."

The building has 131 windows. The grant only covers 57 of those. That leaves 74 that need to be funded.

"About 1,000 dollars a window, so we're looking at probably about 74 more thousand dollars to complete it," added Tiller.

Money they hope to get from residents.

"We're asking the community and alumni if maybe they would be willing to partner with us and help us finish up this project because it's a win win situation," explained Tiller.

A "win- win" that could happen if everyone chips in.

If you'd like to help out, you can drop your donations off to the Alfred Saliba Family Services Center.