Masks Made with Love Protect Summer Jobs Teens
What do you do when you need 1,000 face masks for the teens you’ll employ in the summer of Covid-19? You call on the church women.
Each summer Y.O.U. employs hundreds of teenagers for the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). This summer Y.O.U. scaled back operations to accommodate 1,000 youth. Y.O.U.’s strict guidelines for employers to keep teens safe include requiring they wear masks while on the job.
The youth who participate in Y.O.U.’s program are from under-resourced communities. Many most likely do not have access to masks, and Y.O.U. is responsible for keeping them safe. In May 2020, Y.O.U. Director of Work Experience Eric Dillenbeck approached the Reverend Sharon Core, General Presbyter of the Presbytery of the Western Reserve, a community of 37 churches, about making masks for the youth. She thought it was a great idea to get the churches involved as part of their outreach efforts.
“People are doing something! Making masks is a great opportunity to volunteer our service to the community. It’s a tangible expression of our ministry of outreach.”
She then approached Lee Lohr, who heads up the Presbyterian Women’s group, about making masks for the teens. They also promoted it in communications from the Presbytery to churches. In just two weeks, they had commitments for more than 600 masks and were on track to reach the June 22 deadline for the full 1,000. Imagine Eric’s surprise when more than 1,500 masks arrived at the Y.O.U.’s offices, enough to protect teens and young adults in Y.O.U. programs.
Y.O.U. is deeply grateful to the church members and others who made masks for our teens. Although they don’t know them, the members of the Northeast Ohio community recognize how important and precious each person’s life is.
