Come mow my lawn! :-)

The retail business is hurting too; maybe look outside them? Do you have a vehicle? Have you thought about delivery (pizza or other), working as a go-for/driver for non-profits (like cancer centers who pick-up patients and take them to dr. appointments or assisted living centers; car dealerships have to get inspections and do fleet management and have a person who does nothing but take cars to the emission inspection station all day, that sort of thing).

Speaking of mowing your elderly neighbors' lawns ($10-20+ a pop, 10 clients, once every week or two; that's $100-$200 a week cash) you could maybe start or join a few businesses like that; pet sitting, grocery/errand shopping, car washing, tutoring kids over the summer or helping with their activities or a combination of 5-10 different things?

What do you like to do? What are you studying? Invent a program, identify non-retail businesses to target and offer yourself as an intern cheaper than "official" programs in the area and with a contract just between you and the business so maybe they pay for some of your schooling rather than money as you work for them.