BANGOR TOWNSHIP (WJRT) -
(08/09/12) - For the past eight weeks, students have been earning money while receiving job training skills.
More than 40 students are a part of the 'Youth Employment and Recreation' program in Saginaw.
Parishioners on Patrol of Saginaw is a nonprofit group that strives to make Saginaw a safer community.
The organization is one of six that received a grant to help kids receive summer employment.
High school senior Coco Moore is earning money this summer through the eight week program where she learns life lessons that can help her after high school.
"It's great making my own money," she said.
Students like Moore are learning job training skills, such as how to prepare for interviews and how to put together resumes.
The teens earn $7.50 an hour.
"It's helping me be more creative because usually I'm at home doing nothing and I'm here doing something productive and earning money for myself. My first job," Moore said.
Pastor Larry Camel, the organizer of Parishioners on Patrol, says students get paid to learn tasks that could help them later down the road.
Not only are they in the classroom, they also get to get their hands dirty by learning how to fish and tie a fishing hook.
"It's non-traditional work. It's youth employment and recreation. So it's a combination of job readiness training and also recreation. So they're learning how to fish, how to make lures and how to enjoy themselves while working in a group and how to get along with each other."
Camel says when teens are there, they don't have time to get into trouble. He already sees the impact that a program has on the children in his community.
"We are about prevention with Parishioners on Patrol, and one of the prevention tools is employment and youth employment. When youth are employed, then they're not in harm's way," he stated.
Sept. 30 is the last day of the program.
The Disability Network provided the grant.
