If you are of the give-a-little-get-a-little school of shopping, Hi Rising is your kind of store.

The Kalihi boutique, with its range of unique and locally made giftable items, opened in October as a training ground for youths who have just aged out of the foster-care system. Anything spent there goes toward the shop’s mission of preparing these 17-to-24-year-olds with real-world work experience.

“Aged out” means these kids no longer fall under the protection of any sort of state-supported care.

Hi Rising was established under the nonprofit Kids Hurt Too Hawaii, which serves children who have lost their parents, not only to death, but to incarceration, divorce or other causes that can break up families.

Often, said Patria Weston-Lee, executive director of Kids Hurt Too, “they have these emotional barriers stemming from early trauma and dealing with many challenges inherent in the foster care system that can get in the way or create setbacks with work and career development.”

The youths earn stipends to work at the shop, learning retail skills, from customer service to business planning to graphic design. They even helped renovate the room and build the display cases. One of them designed the Hi Rising logo, which is printed on T-shirts and tote bags sold in the store.

“We’re hoping this is a more meaningful experience than a first job out of high school,” Weston-Lee said.

Altruism aside, this is not a second-hand store filled with discount castoffs that you purchase in order to do a good deed. Goods sold are donated, on consignment or purchased wholesale, and represent a wide variety.

Examples: Clothing, handmade jewelry, Naikela Botanicals tea powders, Hawaiian Islands Caramel Co. candies, Tropical Shades sunglasses — all the way up to custom-made neon signs and Kala Waterman beach ukulele in pink plastic. A coffee counter at the back of the store sells made-to-order drinks.

The shop is in the Weinberg Kukui Center, a block off North Beretania Street in Kalihi. The building, which is home to a number of youth-centered nonprofits, has plenty of parking, a plus if you’re finishing off your holiday shopping.

Hi Rising is at 245 N. Kukui St., Suite 102; hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Call 545-5683.