Help wanted!

The main industry in Door County is tourism. New businesses are opening all the time, and they all need workers. Back in the day, students came up to work for the summer, but that source of help began to dry up, so businesses in Door County turned to other nations. They get J-1 students from other countries to come and work. The employers offer employee housing and often bicycles so that the students can get to and from work and around town.

The Bridges program came about when the churches in Northern Door County realized that the J-1 students were limited in their ability to get around or to see how American families live, so they set up American host families to “adopt” a student or two, invite them into their homes, and take them on outings so that they can see the beauty of Door County.

Then came COVID and last year most of the businesses were closed. Some of them went out of business as did businesses around the country. With the vaccinations, the businesses that survived were hoping to get back to business as usual this year. However, not all countries have successfully gotten COVID under control so only a few J-1 kids have been able to come this summer. Businesses have had to shorten their hours of operation, restaurants have had to cut down their menus, and hotels have had to close off some of the rooms they normally rent because there just isn’t enough help to do all the work.

Today I took Ashton to work with me in Fish Creek. Ashton got a free tour of the Noble House and then I cut Ashton loose with a bicycle to explore Fish Creek for the day. At noon, Ashton came back to the Noble House to have lunch with me. One of the shops Ashton had gone into was a place called Hat Head. They have a variety of hats one can buy and then choose a design to have embroidered on the hat. Ashton had ordered a hat before lunchtime and went back afterward to get the hat. In the process, Ashton got to talking with the owner and the owner asked Ashton to come and work there. Ashton told me later that it’s really easy to get a job here. Ashton filled out the application in our staff room, and after work, I drove Ashton to Hat Head to turn in the application. Ashton will still keep the housekeeping job at Pheasant Park part-time. On the days I work at the Noble House, Ashton will work at Hat Head which is a much easier job physically.

If you know anyone who wants a summer job, send them to Door County. They can be hired on the spot just about anywhere, and in fact, businesses will hire workers without meeting them or interviewing them because they are so desperate for help right now. It’s an unemployed person’s dream come true!

3 thoughts on “Help wanted!

  1. Hello!!! My name is Joel Blahnik, my wife’s name is Mary Ann. Both of us were born in Fish Creek. I am 83, still full of vigor, and my wife at 81. We’ve housed students from the Czech Republic, starting about 25 years. I have taught 30 years in Wisconsin and 30 years as a music composer, conductor, and clinician and since 1990 hjave assisted the Czechs a great deal in their music education and then have rewarded my with an honorary Doctorate and the title of: “Mr. Czech Music of the Americas. I have been to CZ about 60. Go on line and find me at: http://www.joelblahnik.com. I’m looking Czech students this summer. Have you? JB

  2. With the Czech students I can be a Czech uncle, and I have many Czech books, in case there is a lonesomeness, etc. I have composed about 400 compositions which are distributed all over the world. I go back to Prague next July for a World Congress of Symphonic Bands.
    I live in Fish Creek down the road (Spring Road) from the high school. My address is
    9171 Spring Road with home at 920-868-3100 and my wife’s cell phone at 920-495-7084. Blessings!!!! Maestro Joel Blahnik, Hon DMus

    • Hello, Joel! I just found your comments. The program I am affiliated with is Bridges, which was started by the churches in Northern Door County, and Christian families “adopt” the J-1 students that come. The actual Bridges program isn’t operating this year because so few J-1 kids were able to come, but there is a Baptist church in Sister Bay that has started having game nights for the kids who are here. I don’t know if there are any Czech students here this year, but a good person to talk to would be Janet Hollenbeck at

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *