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Ja’Shari Billups, 16, of Charlotte is learning the ins and outs of business while staying productive this summer. Ja’Shari is working as an attendant at Sunrise Dry Cleaners as part of Youth Development Initiatives’ LIFT Employment and Academic Enrichment Program.
Twenty-nine youths ages 14 through 17 are working as retail clerks, maintenance assistants and day camp workers. As he sorts and tags clothing dropped off by customers for processing, Ja’Shari says he’s learning a lot about what it takes to be successful.
“Working this summer has made me a better person,” says Ja’Shari, a rising 10th-grader at Turning Point Academy. “It’s helped me because it has kept me out of trouble and gave me something positive to do. What I learned from working is that you have to be more responsible and don’t make excuses.”
