Month Long Celebration of Best Kept Secret

Daley & Blagojevich Declare September as Jobs For Youth Month

CHICAGO, IL. (August 27, 2008) – Jobs For Youth/Chicago (JFY) is stepping out and in a big way. No longer wanting to be the best kept secret, JFY along with Mayor Daley and Governor Blagojevich have earmarked September as Jobs For Youth Month.

Since 1979, Jobs For Youth has made over 25,000 job placements for Chicago's low-income 17-24 year olds. JFY offers pre-employment training, GED preparation and job placement services to youth. With over 100,000 youth in Chicago neither working nor in school, the demand for an agency like Jobs For Youth is high. In fact, unlike the bleak unemployment reports, JFY has more jobs than clients.

One youth who took advantage of JFY's services is Phillip Avants, 24, who is from Chicago's Harold Icke Homes. Avants dropped out of high school in his sophomore year to work and support his family. He came to JFY in October 2007 because "I didn't want to be another statistic; I wanted to be better. I was heading down a path where I was either going to jail or die," Avants said. Getting his GED just a few months after coming to JFY, Avants is the first one in his family to receive a diploma.

"We have been the best kept secret for over twenty-five years," says JFY's Executive Director Robert Barnett, "It's time for Chicago to know us and know what we can not only do for our youth but our entire community. JFY Month allows us to step out into the community and reach different audiences who may have otherwise never heard of us."

With a series of free and open to the public events, Jobs For Youth Month provides something for everyone, including:

JFY Tours - Starting September 3rd and continuing every Wednesday in September, Jobs For Youth will be giving tours of the JFY facility so people can see the work we do everyday with Chicago's low-income 17-24 year olds. Tours will be held from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Music Seminar - Join movers and shakers from the music industry during Jobs For Youth Month as they highlight careers associated with the business of music on September 11th from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the Harold Washington Library, Cindy Pritzker Auditorium. Guests include Doug Banks, Radio Personality for Clear Channel Chicago's V-103 and TV Correspondent for ABC's 190 North; Barbara "B.A.M" McDowell, Music Director for WPWX Chicago; Steve "Silk" Hurley, Co-CEO of S&S Records and CEO of Silk Entertainment; Shannon "DJ Skip" Syas, Co-CEO of S&S Records and CEO of PushPac Productions; Helton "Brazil" Siqueira, Owner of Reality Media Studios; Daryl D. Jones, Entertainment Attorney for The Law Offices of Jones + Barksdale, P.C. and Damon "D" Stewart, General Manager & VP of Radio Promotion for Jordan Entertainment Group/Zomba and President of IGA Talent Mgmt & Consulting Group.

Health Fair - On September 24th from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00p.m. at Jobs For Youth (17 N. State Street, 6th Floor), JFY will host a community health fair. Booths and seminars include information on health screenings, pregnancy prevention, STD prevention, HIV and AIDS information, healthy parenting, minority men's and women's health, nutrition and spirituality.

Drinks for Breakfast - JFY's Junior Board will host their annual fundraiser Drinks For Breakfast at A Mano Restaurant on September 18th from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Money raised will go towards JFY's Breakfast Club. The Breakfast Club provides a free, healthy breakfast to JFY clients. Often time, clients have to choose between transportation money and eating. The Breakfast Club allows them a healthy way to begin their day. Tickets for Drinks For Breakfast are $35.

All events require an RSVP and can be done via the JFY website at www.jfychicago.org.

 

About Jobs For Youth/Chicago, Inc.

Jobs For Youth/ Chicago, Inc. (JFY) helps young men and women from low-income families become a part of the economic mainstream; and, in the process, provides the business community with motivated job-ready workers. JFY offers pre-employment training, GED preparation and job placement services to youth that are between the ages of 17 and 24. Established in 1979, JFY has made over 25,000 job placement to help Chicago’s deserving youth enter the workforce. More information is available at www.jfychicago.org, including a short video about JFY programs and services.

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