StepUp4Girls program offers chance to make goods, earn money

KOKOMO, Ind. (AP) - Young girls in the community have the chance to learn real-world skills and earn money through the Kokomo Urban Outreach.

StepUP4Girls began earlier this year as a way to empower and mentor young girls in Kokomo. The program is open to all girls in school between the ages of 10 and 18. The girls work once a week to create items to sell during the Kokomo Downtown Farmers Market.

Each Tuesday, the younger group, made up of middle school girls, gathers together to work on different crafts. The older group meets on Wednesdays. The crafts include bedazzled hats, handmade rugs, headbands and flip flops, along with a handful of other unique, handmade items.

Each Saturday throughout the summer, the girls have been selling their wares at the Kokomo Downtown Farmers Market. All of the money raised from the sales goes back to the girls, who earn paychecks based on the number of points they earn during the week.

The girls can earn points by showing up for the group, working hard while they're there and filling out their weekly journals.

Ciera Thomas heard about the group from a neighbor, who told her it was an opportunity to earn some money.

"It's cool when we make stuff and sell it," she said. "We get paid once a month. I was going to get my nails done, but I need new shoes and clothes and socks."

Sixth-grader Mariah Milton heard about the program from a friend who was also signing up. She was excited by the prospect of earning her own money and learning how to have a job.

"It's good because we're actually learning to . We're learning to get our own jobs."

Amber Exemeyer, the director of the StepUP4Girls program, said she knew she wanted to do something to help young women in the community.

"I have a story just like most of the people who work here," she said. "This is what brought me to working here with the girls . To work with women and children to help them make better choices than I did."

Last year, Exemeyer worked as an intern for the Kokomo Urban Outreach, and she saw the organization add the ManUP program, which helps young men earn paychecks. She talked with KUO Director Jeff Newton about starting a program similar to ManUP, and early this year, Newton reached out and asked if she'd like to be in charge of the program.

Exemeyer is working to encourage the girls to take charge of their business. One of the girls runs a blog for the business and may even run a full webpage soon. She hopes one of the girls will be able to keep track of inventory and what needs to be replenished.

Running the program is something Exemeyer is passionate about. She said she made mistakes when she was younger, and she hopes to set a better example for the girls she mentors. And that's what it's about for her, she said. It's not just giving the girls a way to make some money. It's about teaching and mentoring young girls, and giving them a good role model.

"She treats us like her own children," Thomas said.

When the farmers market closes in October, Exemeyer hopes the girls will be able to continue to sell their items at bazaars and other markets in the area.

What she's looking for now, she said, is quality volunteers. She has one consistent volunteer who shows up to both the weekly meetings and the farmers market, but she's hoping to bring in a few more people who can help.

"I have people come in for a while," she said. "But you really have to be passionate about it."

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Source: Kokomo Tribune

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Information from: Kokomo Tribune, http://www.ktonline.com