Nicole Curtis unveils #FindYourFire grant project for community builders (and blowtorch enthusiasts)

Nicole Curtis has had a busy year filming the seventh season of Rehab Addict–but it turns out that that’s not all she’s been doing. The DIY Network star recently went public with a new project intended to help people with community projects in mind see their plans become reality. Read on to find out more about the Nicole Curtis #FindYourFire grant project.

For the project, Curtis has teamed with the popular torch manufacturer Bernzomatic. According to the press release, the whole idea is for people whose goal is to “putting [their] skills and tools to good use to benefit our communities, and recognize that motivated neighbors have the ability to make a difference.”

What does the Nicole Curtis #FindYourFire project entail, exactly? It’s simple. According to the terms of the contest, all you need to have is an idea for a project, an explanation for how that project will benefit your community specifically, and a quick note about why your project requires a blowtorch. (Not a bad caveat, that last one: what good community project doesn’t involve a blowtorch? You get to use fire and teach people about safety at the same time. Win-win!) You’ll need a “Before” photo of the project, as well.

And, according to the Rehab Addict star herself, the Nicole Curtis #FindYourFire grant project is further meant to remind people that you don’t need a huge budget to help the people around you.

“Every dollar counts,” said Curtis, in a recent Inquisitr interview, “and that’s what I try to show on my show. You don’t have to have $1 million to build something. Bernzomatic came to me and said, ‘We have this idea. What we were to give communities grants to do what they need to do to make repairs and to rebuild?'”

According to Curtis, her response was “Oh my gosh. This is absolutely fabulous.”

In a separate interview with Examiner.com, Curtis explained that the impetus for her participation in #FindYourFire goes way back to her childhood, and acknowledged the difficulty of making every last penny count:

 

I’ve always been really involved in anything outside my home–anything in schools and neighborhoods. That’s the kind of family I was raised in: we always volunteered; we always did something, whether it was a neighborhood clean-up or helping senior citizens or rescuing dogs….So 20 years here into adulthood, I see a need for people to get out there and be active all day long. We work in the cities, but it’s needed everywhere. Everyone can use a helping hand. In our inner cities and a lot of our neighborhoods, there’s not a lot of money to go around; funding’s getting slashed from a lot of kids’ programs and senior programs; and [the Nicole Curtis #FindYourFire grant program] is a great opportunity for me, because there’s only so far you can stretch a dollar.

 

If you’re interested in participating, you can enter your project here–and vote on the submitted projects! Three winners will receive $10,000 each; seven runners up will get $1,500; and every finalist receives a Bernzomatic blowtorch. The deadline to enter is December 7th.

In the meantime, you can catch Nicole Curtis tonight when she premieres Rehab Addict‘s seventh season! Rehab Addict: Detroit airs at 9 PM EST.

 

(Photo credits: Nicole Curtis #FindYourFire via Facebook)