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12 <br />"Every one of them is different, and everyone can learn and help out." says Maureen <br />Gustafson, the store coordinator at Penny Pinchers. Youth start the program learning the <br />basics of becoming a reliable employee such as showing up on time and calling in when <br />sick. Then they progress on to work skills such as customer service, merchandising, <br />handling money and operating the cash register. By the end of the session, youth have <br />learned about successful job search skills, how to interview, have created a resume and <br />are ready to move on to a more permanent job in the regular work force. <br />"A lot of it is about self confidence," adds Gustafson. "They learn that here." <br />Success Story- Penny Pinchers <br />While Penny Pinchers Thrift Store is a job skills training site to about 100 youth a year, <br />there is a particular group of youth who truly benefit from the extra time and attention the <br />youth run business program can offer. <br />Each school year, three to four students in the Prep Program at Mounds View and <br />Irondale High Schools work and learn at Penny Pinchers. These students have mental and <br />physical disabilities that can make them hard to employ. They work at Penny Pinchers for <br />1 %2 hours, four days a week as part of their educational coursework. An aide from the <br />school district comes with the kids to assist. <br />"We had one student — a girl with Down Syndrome — who was very shy and wouldn't <br />look at anyone when she came in here," says Maureen Gustafson, the store coordinator at <br />Penny Pinchers. "I tried to find things for her to do that would make her feel important." <br />Over time, the girl's confidence increased and she started to flourish in her new <br />environment. "She has made a 180 degree turnaround," Gustafson says. "She's so <br />friendly now and an excellent student and my best helper." <br />