By CHUCK KNEBL
Communications Manager, WorkOne Northern Indiana

WorkOne’s JAG program that helps out-of-school youth in Northern Indiana is collaborating with Guidance Ministries to sponsor 28 Days of Caring, an effort seeking to help homeless individuals by collecting donations of various items, including food, clothing, hand sanitizer and tooth brushes, among others. The final day of the donation effort will occur Saturday, Feb. 28, at Concord Mall.

This event is open to the public. Collection times will run from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. in the center concourse. The following items are requested for donations: Can openers, laundry soap, razors, snacks, backpacks, food with pop-top lids, thermal underwear, instant coffee, hand sanitizer, toothbrushes and toothpaste.

WorkOne’s professional JAG specialists mentor and instruct young Hoosiers inside area high schools, known as “In-School JAG,” as well as assist young people who dropped-out of high school, known as “Out-of-School JAG.” In both efforts, specialists operate with a similar goal in mind, to help teens and young Hoosiers build their technical- and soft-skills to become work-ready and to make healthy decisions.

As might be expected, though, specialists working with out-of-school JAG students at times confront hurdles that are not faced very often by in-school JAG students; thus, different strategies are necessary. In other words, the “dropout recovery” effort in north-central Indiana, while aggressive, is complicated and nuanced.

Concord mall is located at 4701 Main Street, Elkhart.