Lakeshore Habitat’s ReStore retail outlet on Riley Street in Holland is a successful work site for the Ottawa County Michigan Works Summer Youth Employment Program.

Joe Rios, store Manager has placed five youths at his location, all of whom are working out very well. “This is a great program,” says Rios, “it teaches the kids work skills, responsibility and other soft skills like working with the public. The kids we have here this summer are very helpful. They’re learning a lot and we’re getting ready to give them more responsibility.”

Asked what he would be doing if he weren’t working at the ReStore, Anthony B., 15 laughed, “sleeping and playing video games.” Working regular hours teaches the youths soft skills such as coming to work on time. Says Anthony, “My grandmother tells me, ‘get to work two minutes early so they see you’re on time,’ so I try to get here a little early every day.” 

“This is the first year we’ve been able to do a program on this scale,” says Angie Barksdale, Program Supervisor at Ottawa County Michigan Works, “and it’s been extremely successful. Michigan Works agencies throughout the state were given a grant through the American Recovery Reinvestment Act to put qualified kids ages fourteen through twenty-four to work. Our Ottawa County Michigan Works Agency has about 250 youths working at roughly 60 different work sites around the county. But we’ve sent 600 youths through our orientation and we have other work sites coming online every week, so our numbers will continue to grow.” 

The youths that Rios has placed for the summer are all students from surrounding high schools, with the exception of Michael McClure who will be attending Michigan State next fall. He’s using his summer earnings to save for college. 

The work the youths are tasked with doing at the ReStore range from heavy lifting to rearranging items on shelves. “Last week a local manufacturer had a surplus shipment of doors and windows that we were given the opportunity to take and sell through the store, so we went and picked those up,” says Rios. “We also got a shipment of lumber from another company and we loaded up a semi truck with that material, too. Those were hot days, but not every day is like that.”

The Lakeshore Habitat ReStore is a non profit retail outlet which benefits Habitat For Humanity. The store sells new and used building materials and home improvement items. Profits from the ReStore support the Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity's mission of providing affordable homeownership opportunities to lower income people.

As of the second week of July over 600 youths have gone through the Ottawa County Michigan Works orientation process. About 250 youths are actively placed at around 60 work sites throughout Ottawa County.