GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — When you think about guns, you may imagine a pistol or rifle, but a West Michigan organization is helping kids get more acquainted with the types of guns you'd see on a construction site - like a nail gun or a caulking gun.
"Kids look at a gun as power. They've got a lot of torque to them. But the home improvement gun has a torque too, and you're making money every time you pull the trigger with this gun. You pull the trigger with the other gun, that's death or prison or just the worst situation you could ever imagine," said Cory McLiechey, who serves as the president of Top Notch Kids.
McLiechey has seen the impact of gun violence and wanted to do something to stop it.
"This is all of our problem as a community - as Grand Rapids, as the state of Michigan, and the United States, because gun violence has plagued the whole country, and it's global. We all have to collectively come together and do our part, and if people don't want to, or don't care, they're going to continue to be the ones sobbing and crying at funerals," he said.
For the last 10 years, Top Notch Kids has been introducing kids to the trades as a way to prevent needless tragedies. They use partnerships with organizations like the Boston Square Neighborhood Association, and Essie Properties LLC to make it happen.
"Children need chances. We expect them to make mistakes, because it's a learning process. You don't get penalized for the first mistake or the second mistake. It's a process. I guess that teaches patience," said William Bryant, who owns Essie Properties and does community outreach work for Top Notch Kids.
Since its inception, Top Notch Kids has been bringing kids to residential construction sites. But for the first time ever, they're now working on a commercial construction site at the corner of Wealthy Street and Division Avenue. McLiechey says he's very grateful for the opportunity.
"We hope that other construction companies want to implement this program within their wheelhouse. There are thousands of kids that need an opportunity, to make a difference in their lives," he said.
Twin brothers Carvel and Cavalli King got involved in Top Notch Kids because they're always looking for an opportunity to earn money.
"We usually do cleaning. I did mopping for a bunch of rooms and window cleaning. He has done walls and bathrooms and stuff. We're just cleaning up right now," Cavalli said.
"It's really fun, because you get to learn a bunch of things, and you could pursue a career in this. You could definitely be a construction worker, or you could just do this for fun. You can make friends your age sometimes. It really just depends on what you're really into."
If you'd like to support Top Notch Kids or get your child involved in the program, you can reach out to the Boston Square Neighborhood Association or Descendants of Truth.
Do you have a deeply personal story with a call to action? That's what One Good Thing is all about! Email your story ideas to OneGoodThing@13OnYourSide.com.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Watch 13 ON YOUR SIDE for free on Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV and on your phone.