MI Home Products was recently awarded a North Carolina Incumbent Workforce Development Grant. Approval for the $49,977 grant was made by the NC Commission on Workforce Development based on the review and recommendation made by the Centralina Workforce Development Board. MI Home Products is located in Concord in Cabarrus County. MI Home Products is a manufacturer of new construction and replacement vinyl windows and aluminum storm doors. The Concord, North Carolina manufacturing facility is one of the largest and most respected window and door manufacturers across the United States. The Plant contains two window-manufacturing lines, a glass line, a specialty window line and a window screen department. Average weekly production is approximately 7,500 windows with a current staffing production capacity of 9,400 windows a week.

MI Home Products started in 1947 manufacturing screen products for home use. Currently, MI Home Products produces the highest quality products out of eleven fabrication plants across the United States for residential and light commercial uses. MI Home Products built its first window in 1972 and has since expanded the product line to fulfill all customer needs.

MI Home Products will work closely with Rowan-Cabarrus Community College to insure quality training for approximately one hundred and sixty-five (165) associates currently working at the facility. A major goal of the training initiative is to implement occupational and soft skills for supervisors, potential candidates into supervision, and additional employees. The training provided through this grant will greatly improve the individual skills of its workforce.

For more information about the Incumbent Workforce Development Program please contact the Centralina Workforce Development Board at (704) 348-2717 or visit www.centralinaworks.com to download program guidelines and application.

The Anson Women's League was founded in 1990 as a nonprofit organization of women who live and/or work in Anson County. The League is composed of professionals and homemakers, employed and retired, black and white, ranging in age from the early twenties to sixty pluses. The organization brings about a spirit of cooperation among the women of Anson County by offering an opportunity to interact with others that they may not meet in the course of our busy lives and become involved in the community. The members come together once a month to hear an interesting speaker, discuss projects and enjoy a delicious meal. The Anson Women's League's current project is to assist underprivileged women obtain an outfit suitable for job interviews. The women of the organization are donating suitable clothing, shoes, handbags and jewelry that are coordinated into a complete outfit. The outfits are distributed through the Anson Crises Ministry.

The League's ongoing project is a bone marrow typing drive that is held every other year and will be an event of 2004. The fundraiser for this continuing project is a soup and sandwich luncheon held on the 2nd Tuesday in February at First Baptist Church located on Lee Avenue in Wadesboro.

The Anson Women's League meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month, except February and July, from 12:00 PM until 1:00 PM at Twin Valley County Club in Wadesboro, N.C. Dues are $25.00 a year plus the cost of the meal. You are invited to visit and join the organization and get involved in the community. For more information please contact Ms. Debbie Wright at 704.695.1420 or Ms. Helen Shewning at 704.851.9281.