YouthBuild Newark Awards $3.6 Million to Four NJ Non-Profits

YouthBuild Newark's program for youthful offenders will soon be state-wide. PHOTO BY AKINTOLA HANIF.

YouthBuild Newark has selected four New Jersey organizations to receive United States Department of Labor (DOL) funds to replicate its youthful offender program model in four high-need cities throughout New Jersey.

The four sub-recipients are Brand New Day, Inc., serving Elizabeth, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark, serving Jersey City; Covenant House New Jersey, which will serve Atlantic City; and St. Paul’s Community Development Organization, serving Passaic City. The replication effort is supported by the State of New Jersey Office of the Attorney General (OAG), which will act as a key partner.

YouthBuild Newark’s youthful offender model helps juvenile ex-offenders between the ages of 16 and 21 includes education, job training, youth development, leadership training and community revitalization efforts. In particular, YouthBuild Newark students are taught construction skills that are applied on-site at affordable housing developments.

YouthBuild Newark student Earlie: New haircut, new life

Before and after photos of YouthBuild Newark student Earlie, who cut his hair after enlisting in the Navy. PHOTOS BY AKINTOLA HANIF.

It was hard not to notice Earlie dreadlocks. The tips were bright green–he dyed them for St. Patrick’s Day– and they stayed that way until a few weeks ago.

That’s when Earlie, 18, decided to get a haircut, his first since age 14, when he began growing his shoulder-length dreads. Without them, even his five-month-old son, Mazi, had trouble recognizing Earlie until he adjusted to dad’s new look.

But the haircut helped Earlie get a job at FedEx as an “inbound docker,” operating a forklift. And it will save him a trip to the barber when he goes to Navy boot camp in August.

Prudential volunteers and YouthBuild Newark students work together

YouthBuild Newark students and Prudential employees measure sheetrock together. PHOTO BY AKINTOLA HANIF

Prudential employees got a piece of the sheetrock today when they went to work at YouthBuild Newark’s newest program site, under construction on 15th Avenue.

About ten volunteers from Prudential’s Real Estate Department got construction tips from students, who showed them how to measure and install sheetrock.

After a short time on the job, they had already learned a few things.

“I’m definitely learning safety first and communication is the key,” said Tony Stivale, Vice President of Corporate Real Estate at Prudential.

Rosaly: ‘I won’t give up.’

YouthBuild Newark student Rosaly is determined to get her GED. PHOTO BY AKINTOLA HANIF.

Rosaly sits in a basement classroom alone, working on her essay.

She is easily distracted by other students, so she sought out a quiet place to write.

Since Rosaly came to YouthBuild Newark in the fall, she’s been finding ways to cope with her learning difficulties. She devised her own methods of preparing for the GED test, and studies diligently, no matter how frustrating that can be.

“You can’t go anywhere without that piece of paper,” says Rosaly, who is 19. “This is what you need in life.”