DECATUR, Ill (WAND) - Shemilah's Outreach Center's summer work program is in full swing, and teens are getting to give back to Decatur while learning work skills.

"We want to build a youth up and show them that hard work does pays off," Shemuel Sanders, founder of the program said. He says besides landscaping, they get to try different career avenues through small trips.

"We also got the agriculture, we still have forensic. And Friday, we are taking them into a farm. So we're gonna teach [them] about milking cows and doing different things on a farm," Sanders said.

Senator Doris Turner was there Wednesday to help as well, saying this program really builds up youth.

"I understand that there are a lot of things out here that are impacting our youth now, so when you have an opportunity to put them in a structured program that teaches him about hard work, but also teaches them about saving and about giving back. It's a win win for everybody," Turner said.

That win is for the Clean Up, Green Up in Decatur, an initiative to work on revitalizing the city. Now, the teens involved are getting a newly increased pay of $200 dollars a week. He also teaches them how to use the money they earn. 

"That's one of the things we're teaching them now is to open up a bank account and to save money. And then we're doing a 10-10-80...10% they put put up 10% they give back in the community, and then 80% that's theirs.

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