My name is Steven Gloer. My wife and I have lived in Lochmere since 2008, and all four of our kids were born and raised right here in the neighborhood. Two of our kids are teenagers now, and watching them step into this in-between stage of life is what led to this project.
Our oldest, James, was thrilled to land his first real job this summer as a lifeguard at the Lochmere pool. He quickly learned there just aren’t enough hours to go around. One Monday afternoon, a fellow lifeguard texted the group that he needed someone to cover his Wednesday shift. James jumped on it immediately — and within sixty seconds, five other kids had already claimed it. The shift was gone before he could finish typing. My plan was for him to stay busy and earn over the summer. Instead, he’s home, restless, looking for something to do.
Our daughter is the entrepreneur of the family. She has been teaching herself to do nails and is genuinely good at it — but she has no easy way to let neighbors know she’s open for clients. Every teenager I know has some version of this problem: real skills, real motivation, no way to connect with the people right down the street who could use the help.
Meanwhile, on the other side of it, I’ve spent years wishing there were a simple way to find a Lochmere teen to help spread mulch, wash the car, or watch the kids for a couple of hours on a Friday night. I’d rather hire a neighbor’s kid than a stranger off an app, every time.
Lochmere Help is my attempt to solve that problem — for my own family and for the neighbors right down the street. If it helps a few teens stay busy and earn their own money, and it helps a few families get a hand with the small stuff, then it’s done its job.
Thanks for being part of it.
— Steven Gloer
225 Strathburgh Ln · Lochmere resident since 2008