Tiny house build to provide help for storm victims, grows partnerships to further impact area teens
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - A project building small is finding big . The grassroots effort to help those impacted by the May 16th tornado by building tiny, temporary houses is now creating opportunities to young adults this summer and earn them a paycheck.
“I can tell you St. Louis has come together,” said Erion Johnson.
Erion Johnson, a carpenter, has had a busy few days. It was after starting to work on the blueprint that he organized to provide a sturdier roof with a tiny home over people’s heads who are still living at the site of their home, now damaged or destroyed. Something to give people hope as they wait for their home to be rebuilt. It is after he was working with others to board and tarp homes impacted by the storm.
Johnson credits his trade, learned through Job Corps, with saving his life.
While he’s using that to help build these tiny homes, designed to fit one or two beds. Work on them started this past weekend, and he has a goal to build 100 by the end of summer.
Some kids and teens enlisted to help with these builds.
Johnson also envisioned it as a way to teach trade skills and mentor kids and teens this summer. That work is going to go even further as Johnson is working on building partnerships for those kids.
“I’m not the easiest boss. I’ll be honest.” Johnson said, “I’m going to teach them structure. I’m going to teach them how to get here on time. How to clock in. If you don’t got your shoes on, you get sent home. Things like that because we want them to build character. We don’t just want to put someone in the workforce who ain’t there, so I really want to do it the right way.”
What Johnson got started this past weekend caught the attention of Allen Perkins, a program coordinator at SLATE Missouri Job Center. He works with the Summer Youth Employment Program.
“Timing was perfect. Some people would call it divine intervention,” said Perkins.
He added, “Whenever there’s a need, we know how to shift. When the tornado happened and the relief efforts and recovery efforts started, we knew we wanted to do something.”
Through the Summer Youth Employment Program at SLATE, they’re offering what they’re calling Community Impact Intern positions. Allowing 18-24 year olds to gain job skills and work on efforts toward storm relief. For that work, they’re paid $15 an hour.
Monday, a partnership was formed between SLATE and Johnson that would allow for 15 positions to work on this tiny home build.
Johnson said adding a paycheck with this is a good incentive and makes the participants more engaged.
“They know they’re getting paid every Friday, they’re going to be here on time,” said Johnson.
One of the key parts of the SYEP is mentorship. Perkins said that’s part of why he was excited about getting this in place.
“We ask them for that mentorship piece, we ask them for that on-the-job training, that extra layer of because a lot of times, our young people, this might be their first opportunity.” Perkins said, “We want to make sure that we’re working with worksite partners that get it, that want to train them, that want to mentor them and coach them.”
SYEP allows kids to explore different opportunities in the trades to government possitions.
Tuesday, Johnson said, while SLATE partnership will provide opportunities to teens and young adults who reside in the City of St. Louis, he also wanted this opportunity to extend to those in St. Louis County. That’s led to a team-up with Employment Connection to do something similar for those ages 14-21.
It’s getting him closer to making a difference in kids’ lives.
Johnson said, “They’re online all day seeing, seeing rappers and athletes, but when we get together here they see men that’s wanting to make a difference for them. We’ve got a situation now where the money getting involved. It’s going to get bigger and bigger.”
Johnson is also partnering with some of the people doing this mentorship work. That includes the group NextUpSTL, a mentorship program started by three brothers, who started this work out of situations that arose with their own kids.
Tavion Logan, one of the founders, said, “We want to be a big brother, uncle or father that they don’t have. Even if they do have one, and there’s not so much , we want to be that . To give them, encourage them and get up and say I’m going to go to work today. I’m going to be on time. I’m going to do what I’m supposed to do. We want to get them involved, get them encouraged and get them going.”
Johnson said the work will continue on the builds starting Wednesday morning, June 4 and plans to go each day through Sunday. They’re moving to a different location at Wesley House at 4507 Lee Avenue, and in the future, some of the builds will be at different locations.
“When they deliver these to people who ain’t got a house right now, they’re going to feel good about themselves. They’re going to want to go do it again. They’re going to build, build and build. It’s going to happen. At first, I said 100 is a lot, but St. Louis is going to see the 100 because we’re the Show Me state,” said Johnson.
SLATE also provides other opportunities to youth, including on Friday, June 6. There is a Youth Employment and Opportunity Fair. That will be from 1 pm-4 pm at the SLATE office on the first floor at 1520 Market Street, St. Louis.
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