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Title
Box 3, Folder 17, Document 55
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Text
ent-A-Kid Growth
Pasi
‘xpectations, Chief
By PLU TRIBBLE
Editor
“Rent-A-Kid is going beautifully. Beyond all
ectations,’’ Southsider Mrs. Joy Ruyle, ad-
listrator of the program, said in a recent in-
riew. Began last summer to help West End
3 earn more money for essentials and for
k-to-school necessities, the program has
wn to encompass 11 locations with an enroll-
nt of 800 teenagers, ages 14-16.
The idea for renting kids for iobs originated
Joy Ruyle’s creative mind. But, she doubted
could make it become a reality. With the
ouragement and help of Father Edward Dil-
, then with St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in
st End, Rent-A-Kid not only became a reality
a thriving one which helped 400 young
iple last summer.
Now, the program is a pilot project in metro
anta, and if it works here this summer, the
igram will be instituted in all major cities of
United States. From the success the pro-
im is meeting at its one-third mark, Rent-A-
1 should become a national program next
Ir.
“We are cataloging job titles and descrip-
as of jobs which are available and aceepta-
’* Joy said. These will be used to set up pro-
ims elsewhere. Acceptable jobs, Mrs. Ruyle
)lained, are those which conform to federal
i state child labor laws.
Some of the jobs handled by the teemagers
» baby sitting, ironing, cleaning, helping
ithers, assisting in packing for movers and
yacking, window washing, yard work, paint-
‘under supervision, loading, unloading, stack-
Rent-A-Kid
ing, stuffing envelopes, most any kind of tempo-
rary,part time work.
. The girls particularly like serving as party
sprite from fhe wading pool
lege Park Recreation Center. \Cynthia,
who will be four in August, is th\daugh-
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Rhodes of
College Park. (Photo by Bill Grimes)
Continued from Page One
Says
assistants,’ Mrs. Ruyle said. ‘They help in s--
rving and cleaning up at parties.’’ Present.~
the girls also provide baby ‘sitting services =
Atlanta motels and hotels.
Some of the job requests are a little unusus.
the adminsitrator said. One caller asked fer =
baby sitter—for four St. Bernard dogs. A rac
station is using Rent-A-Kid to answer phone:
during a contest. Last week a department stc:-
‘hired three Rent-A-Kids to demonstrate a ne-
toy.
And a paper company, desperate for old pa--
ers to reprocess, is furnishing trucks at fc_.
Rent-A-Kid locations and has hired six kids =
each center to work on the paper drive. 7-
paper drive locations, are Kirkwood, Dix:
Hills, Forest Park and Perry Homes.
Mrs. Ruyle said people can take their pap -:.
to these locations or call Rent-A-Kid at 577-322
if they have too much paper to haul. and a tr=-
will come by and pick up the papers which -
not have to be bundled or tied. This pick up ==>
vice will be in effect the first two weeks of Ju.
“The exciting thing about this progras
Joy said, ‘is that it has opened a new las.
market. It has stimulated jobs in an untouc-.
area that will continue to provide employm-
for teenagers. The grass keeps growing. Pe-=
keep having babies. Dust keeps collecting.”
The most satisfying aspect of the progr=-
according to its administrator who is
employment specialist for FOA, is what it =-.
Meant and continues tO mean-to the kids. -.-
ults sometimes don’t realize what is impor:..
to a young person,"’ she said.
‘
Last year at the end of the program, Mrs
Ruyle’received a letter from one of the West
End Rent-A-Kids, thanking her for the job op-
portunities. He said that means a let to these
teenagers. ; ==
He had been able to buy shoes for all of his
brothers and sisters and himself. He paid his
locker fee at school. For the first time he had a
gym suit. ‘“Now I don’t feel different,” the
young boy wrote. “I don't mind going to school
this year.”
“By helping teemagers at the age of 14 and
15, we can keep them from dropping out of
school and joining the hard-core unemployed at
the age of 16, before their motivation is killed,”
Mrs. Ruyle said. ey
She estimates there are 30,000 kids in
the metro area who want and need employment.
There are not enowgh jobs for them. Industry
and business can’t absorb this many kids.
“Rent-A-Kid is elping to fill the gap.”’
The program is funded this summer by the
US Department of Labor and the Metro Atlanta
Commission on Crime and Juvenile Delinquen-
cy. “This is the first time the US Department of
Labor has ever paid for any kind’of program for
kids younger than 16,”’ Joy said.
Presently job orders and the kids enrolled in
the program are about even. ‘‘We would like to
have double the number of job orders we now
have, Mrs. Ruyle said, ‘‘so before the summer
is over we can enroll the 2000 teenagers we
have slots for.’’ As job orders increase, enroll-
ment can be increased.
Joy is optimistic that 2000 will be en-
rolled in the program before summer ends. “‘If
Atlanta keeps cooperating as it is now, we will
get this many enrolled.’’ She believes the only
way Rent-A-Kid could fail anywhere is if a city
is not open and warm in its reception of the pro- .
gram as Atlanta is. '
The Optimsits Club in the metro area have
given the program a big boost. They have fur-
nished T-shirts with “‘Rent-A-Kid™ across the
front, After a teenager works eight hours on a_
job in the program, he is eligible for one of the
shirts and wears it on his job.
A Rent-A-Kid orders are going through a
central office this year. The phone number to
eall is 577-5252: ‘
v
Pasi
‘xpectations, Chief
By PLU TRIBBLE
Editor
“Rent-A-Kid is going beautifully. Beyond all
ectations,’’ Southsider Mrs. Joy Ruyle, ad-
listrator of the program, said in a recent in-
riew. Began last summer to help West End
3 earn more money for essentials and for
k-to-school necessities, the program has
wn to encompass 11 locations with an enroll-
nt of 800 teenagers, ages 14-16.
The idea for renting kids for iobs originated
Joy Ruyle’s creative mind. But, she doubted
could make it become a reality. With the
ouragement and help of Father Edward Dil-
, then with St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in
st End, Rent-A-Kid not only became a reality
a thriving one which helped 400 young
iple last summer.
Now, the program is a pilot project in metro
anta, and if it works here this summer, the
igram will be instituted in all major cities of
United States. From the success the pro-
im is meeting at its one-third mark, Rent-A-
1 should become a national program next
Ir.
“We are cataloging job titles and descrip-
as of jobs which are available and aceepta-
’* Joy said. These will be used to set up pro-
ims elsewhere. Acceptable jobs, Mrs. Ruyle
)lained, are those which conform to federal
i state child labor laws.
Some of the jobs handled by the teemagers
» baby sitting, ironing, cleaning, helping
ithers, assisting in packing for movers and
yacking, window washing, yard work, paint-
‘under supervision, loading, unloading, stack-
Rent-A-Kid
ing, stuffing envelopes, most any kind of tempo-
rary,part time work.
. The girls particularly like serving as party
sprite from fhe wading pool
lege Park Recreation Center. \Cynthia,
who will be four in August, is th\daugh-
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Rhodes of
College Park. (Photo by Bill Grimes)
Continued from Page One
Says
assistants,’ Mrs. Ruyle said. ‘They help in s--
rving and cleaning up at parties.’’ Present.~
the girls also provide baby ‘sitting services =
Atlanta motels and hotels.
Some of the job requests are a little unusus.
the adminsitrator said. One caller asked fer =
baby sitter—for four St. Bernard dogs. A rac
station is using Rent-A-Kid to answer phone:
during a contest. Last week a department stc:-
‘hired three Rent-A-Kids to demonstrate a ne-
toy.
And a paper company, desperate for old pa--
ers to reprocess, is furnishing trucks at fc_.
Rent-A-Kid locations and has hired six kids =
each center to work on the paper drive. 7-
paper drive locations, are Kirkwood, Dix:
Hills, Forest Park and Perry Homes.
Mrs. Ruyle said people can take their pap -:.
to these locations or call Rent-A-Kid at 577-322
if they have too much paper to haul. and a tr=-
will come by and pick up the papers which -
not have to be bundled or tied. This pick up ==>
vice will be in effect the first two weeks of Ju.
“The exciting thing about this progras
Joy said, ‘is that it has opened a new las.
market. It has stimulated jobs in an untouc-.
area that will continue to provide employm-
for teenagers. The grass keeps growing. Pe-=
keep having babies. Dust keeps collecting.”
The most satisfying aspect of the progr=-
according to its administrator who is
employment specialist for FOA, is what it =-.
Meant and continues tO mean-to the kids. -.-
ults sometimes don’t realize what is impor:..
to a young person,"’ she said.
‘
Last year at the end of the program, Mrs
Ruyle’received a letter from one of the West
End Rent-A-Kids, thanking her for the job op-
portunities. He said that means a let to these
teenagers. ; ==
He had been able to buy shoes for all of his
brothers and sisters and himself. He paid his
locker fee at school. For the first time he had a
gym suit. ‘“Now I don’t feel different,” the
young boy wrote. “I don't mind going to school
this year.”
“By helping teemagers at the age of 14 and
15, we can keep them from dropping out of
school and joining the hard-core unemployed at
the age of 16, before their motivation is killed,”
Mrs. Ruyle said. ey
She estimates there are 30,000 kids in
the metro area who want and need employment.
There are not enowgh jobs for them. Industry
and business can’t absorb this many kids.
“Rent-A-Kid is elping to fill the gap.”’
The program is funded this summer by the
US Department of Labor and the Metro Atlanta
Commission on Crime and Juvenile Delinquen-
cy. “This is the first time the US Department of
Labor has ever paid for any kind’of program for
kids younger than 16,”’ Joy said.
Presently job orders and the kids enrolled in
the program are about even. ‘‘We would like to
have double the number of job orders we now
have, Mrs. Ruyle said, ‘‘so before the summer
is over we can enroll the 2000 teenagers we
have slots for.’’ As job orders increase, enroll-
ment can be increased.
Joy is optimistic that 2000 will be en-
rolled in the program before summer ends. “‘If
Atlanta keeps cooperating as it is now, we will
get this many enrolled.’’ She believes the only
way Rent-A-Kid could fail anywhere is if a city
is not open and warm in its reception of the pro- .
gram as Atlanta is. '
The Optimsits Club in the metro area have
given the program a big boost. They have fur-
nished T-shirts with “‘Rent-A-Kid™ across the
front, After a teenager works eight hours on a_
job in the program, he is eligible for one of the
shirts and wears it on his job.
A Rent-A-Kid orders are going through a
central office this year. The phone number to
eall is 577-5252: ‘
v
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