MARTIN:

First, tell me a little about this project, Isaiah.

ISAIAH:

These young men and women don't have any work. They can't find jobs.

MARTIN:

Do they all live in this neighborhood?

ISAIAH:

Yes, they do. There's nothing for them to do. We started this project to keep them busy and to teach them some skills.

MARTIN:

Isaiah, I want to ask you some more questions. But first, let's see what some of the people are doing.

ISAIAH:

OK. Let's look at Wendell's work. He's making a shelf. It's almost finished.

MARTIN:

Hi, Wendell. I'm Martin.

WENDELL:

Hi.

MARTIN:

What's the shelf for?

WENDELL:

I'm making it for my mother. It's for the kitchen.

MARTIN:

It's really good. How did you do it?

ISAIAH:

Tell him exactly what you did.

WENDELL:

Everything?

ISAIAH:

From the beginning.

WENDELL:

Isaiah gave me the wood. One long piece and one shorter piece.

ISAIAH:

The wood is given to us by a local builder. Go on.

WENDELL:

First I sawed the long piece into two pieces. One piece is the top and the other is the back of the shelf.

MARTIN:

Did you sand it then to make it smooth?

WENDELL:

Not then. Next I cut these pieces. That was a lot of work. Then I fastened it all together. These pieces make it strong.

MARTIN:

How did you fasten it?

WENDELL:

Look on the back. See these screws? First I put in the holes.

ISAIAH:

How?

WENDELL:

With a drill. Next I put glue on all the edges. Then I put the pieces together and put in the screws. All finished.

ISAIAH:

Not quite.

WENDELL:

Oh, I forgot. Next I sanded it. Look at these edges. They were very rough. I made those smooth.

MARTIN:

How?

WENDELL:

With this sand paper. That's a lot of work too. But I'm almost finished.

MARTIN:

Then what?

WENDELL:

Then I'm going to paint it red. It's for my mother's birthday. She likes red.

MARTIN:

Wendell, have you ever made anything with wood before?

WENDELL:

I've never made anything before.

MARTIN:

Thanks for talking to me. It looks very nice.

WENDELL:

See you.

ISAIAH:

Few of the young people in here have ever made anything before. That's what is exciting about it. You see someone like Wendell. He was able to finish something like that for the first time.

MARTIN:

He's learned the steps for making a shelf. Can he do anything else?

ISAIAH:

I think so. He's learned to go step by step. First you do this. Next you do this. Then you do this. It's important in any work.

MARTIN:

You must be very happy with the work the young people are doing here.

ISAIAH:

It's the most interesting thing I've ever done.