June 22, 2011
Çortlanh (Obstruer
Page 13
M ETRO
Empowerment for Local Youth
Summer jobs
advance education
and careers
by M indy C ooper
T he P ortland O bserver
As summer vacation for Portland Public
school began last week, Commissioner Loretta
Smith unveiled a new summer mentorship
program, which will provide 25 jobs this sum
mer for youth*within the community.
The need for the program became a priority
for this year’s budget cycle after Commis
sioner Smith organized an issues forum for
African American youth and men.
Nearly 200 people attended the standing
room only event, where both men and young
people within the community expressed what
they see as necessary steps to ensure a better
future.
“This program responds to the sentiment
voiced in last month ’ s forum by young people
that the best way to keep them and their peers
off the street is with a job,” said Smith.
In response, she insisted the county bud
get include a focus on the need for employ
ment opportunities for local youth, where
there is currently a 30 percent unemployment
rate for young people actively seeking op
portunities.
m e n t o is ^
C°™miSSioner Loretta Smith ¡''t'oduces young members o f the ( M m m u n ^ v ^ ^ i lp a r t M p a t e ^ n a ^ w ^
**
LU° ' 1 8 ' B K ’° n ° anCe' 2 ° : Loretta Smith; Mlcah Mitchel1'
. . ¿ ^ ear! i elplnf ,n lteupkidsoffthestree,s'
71,6 program' which is pan of a summer
r C ¡ngJ hem -iikk .S heJ e at MuItnomah y °uth Connect Partnership among Multnomah
County that will help them advance their County, the city of Portland and the private
education and careers,” said Smith.
sector, will pay for 25 young people to gain
work experience throughout the summer
“It will give our young people skills they
P P
Y
continued
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Boys and
Girls Club
Celebration
Community resource
renovated thanks
to volunteers
The Portland Trail Blazers teamed up with W indermere
Real Estate and other volunteers to revam p a com m unity
resource, the Blazers Boys and G irls Club on northeast
M artin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
H elping clean and organize the activity areas were
O vations and AEG m ake-it-better em ployee volunteers,
as well as volunteers from W indermere and their partners.
Trail Blazers alumni Jerom e Kersey and Terry Porter,
along with president em eritus Harry G lickm an, joined
volunteers on Friday to celebrate the com pletion of the
continued
on page 14
Y° T f[O
hm
» °yS 3nd ° ' rlS C'Ub celebrate a cleanup and restoration o f their northeast Portland youth
center thanks to the efforts o f volunteers from the Portland Trail Blazers and Windermere Real Estate.
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