Sen. John Kerry in Minnesota

Senator John Kerry made an "unscheduled" stop at a Youth Build construction site at 736 Sims Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Kerry often claims to have started the Youth Build program on a federal level, "literally writing it into the law", as he often states, in the 1980s.

Youth Build is a $65 million dollar program which offers at-risk or trouble-prone high school students an opportunity to stay in school by working on a local construction project for low-income families.

The Senator chatted with 6 high school to adult workers on the freshly reconstructed front steps of a dilapidated white two-story row house, across from an elementary school and ending a long string of similar homes.

40 neighbors gathered across the street and behind a ropeline, and Kerry toured the interior for less than five minutes.

On the reconstructed back stairs and upper deck, Kerry chatted with supervisors Alice and Terry then told your pool he is "pretty good with a hammer and saw."

The presumptive Democratic nominee admitted, however, that he's "still building his campaign."

In brief remarks, Kerry cited the Houston school system as an example of a community in need of programs such as Youth Build. The Senator stated he hoped to raise the program's annual funding to "$90 or $100 million."

As Kerry greeted the 40 neighbors across the street, a woman yelled, "We need more teachers-we need smaller class sizes!"

Kerry relied, "That's why I'm running for president."

Another asked, "What are we going to do about unemployment?"

The Senator responded, "We're going to create jobs."

Kerry greeted some children planting flags and viewed a sign reading, "Dear John: Trust there is intelligent life in MN & U.S.A. It's character, character, character."

Earlier in the day, Sen. Kerry departed his hotel, dashed past the open door of his motorcade suburban toward the enthusiastic crowd of 25 Minnesotans gathered in front of Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the Massachusetts Senator.