What else could I possibly do to get a summer job?

I started looking for a summer job in April. I couldn”t work until the end of June but I had just turned 18 and had never had a job before so my mom and I thought it would be a good idea to get a head start. I applied to two places, one place never contacted me back and one place contacted me back but said they were looking for someone to start right away. I couldn’t start right away due to school and extracurricular activities so they said they would contact me in the summer but they never did.

I was able to get a job working at my county’s recs and parks center. I’m a dance instructor and it’s a great job because I get to do something I love, the pay is way more than I was expecting since this would be my first job, I get benefits when I start to work full time (right now it’s just part-time) and I’m working for the county. The problem is that they didn’t need anyone to work during the summer so I won’t start working until September. I wanted to start working during the summer because I need money for new clothes and school supplies for the fall.

I’ve applied to Outback, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Sephora, Bath and Body Works, Ulta, The Greene Turtle, The Fresh Market, The Farmhouse (it’s a restaurant), Old Navy, Rita’s, Cold Stone Creamery, Mission BBQ and 4 positions at Target. I got an interview at Nothing Bundt Cakes but told them I was looking for a summer job and could only work weekends and blew the interview.

I got an interview at the Farmhouse which isn’t even open yet. It opens on the 5th of August and the manager told me to check back in with her at the end of July to see if there’s any openings for any positions. I have high hopes for that place, the manager did seem to like me and I told her I was willing to work any position, not just the one I applied for.

I went into Old Navy to speak to the manager about being hired and she told me they weren’t hiring because they were slow at the moment. She said I could reapply if September when kids go back to school and business picks up.

I wasn’t contacted by anyone else. I did just apply to the last 4 places last night and I do have high hopes for working at Target but then again, I had high hopes for all those other places and got nothing.

My grandma says that I should’ve started applying to jobs earlier because now all these kids who are in school got summer jobs and there’s no availability for me. I guess I know that for the future but I didn’t want to apply to any other place until I was fully available so I was able to work right away.

And my mom doesn’t really even want me to work because we’re on government assistance so if our combined income is too high then we could lose our health insurance, which my older brother and I need since we have disabilities (I’m just a type 1 diabetic but my brother is handicapped). Plus, I don’t have my license yet so my mom would have to take me to work and even though all these places are 5 minutes away, I don’t think she wants to get up and drive me to work everyday. And walking is out of the question because she won’t let me.

She also doesn’t want me to work at any fast food places other than Chick Fil A (which isn’t hiring). I feel like it would be easier for me to get a job at someplace like McDonald’s or Wendy’s because I have no work experience and that’s were most people my age get their first job. Of course I don’t want to work at a fast food place but at this point, I’d probably work most places doing most things. I’m very desperate for a job.

Sorry this is so long, I tend to rant when I make these types of post but what should I do going forward? I have a list of places I can look into but I’m afraid that I’m just going to keep applying to places and they aren’t going to contact me back and soon I’ll have no where else to look into. Do I need to start going into the stores and asking to speak with someone about being hired? That’s what I did when I went to Old Navy but they couldn’t do anything for me? I have a resume but there’s not much for me to put on there because I haven’t started working yet.

Based on my situation, what do you suggest I do?