Teen violence program bankrolled by Citizens

Banner Staff

Responding to Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s plea for support from the community during Boston’s recent spike in crime, Citizens Bank and the Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston (BMA) announced last week a new partnership aimed at curbing youth violence in Boston this summer.

The initiative, known as the Summer Enrichment Series, will be offered from July 1 through August 31 and is funded by a $200,000 grant from the Citizens Bank Foundation.

“Through the Summer Enrichment Series, our youth will have the opportunity to become engaged in the community and be part of the solution to the problem of youth violence,” Menino said.

That engagement is one of three essential components of the Series’ program targeting at-risk youth, alongside employment and education. The series will also afford the young men and women who become part of the program with safe and recreational locations to frequent when not on the job.

“Citizens Bank is deeply committed to the communities where our customers and colleagues live and work,” said Robert E. Smyth, chairman, president and CEO of Citizens Bank of Massachusetts.

Young men and women who have already been involved with the judicial system will have the opportunity to obtain one of at least 50 summer jobs. Such employment is designed to assist at-risk youths with earning a sustainable income, developing crucial job and social skills and establishing a more positive outlook on life.

Though the jobs pay only minimum wage, they span the employment spectrum, ranging from administrative positions to outdoor labor, and will be created through local nonprofits and faith-based institutions throughout Boston.

The “engagement” aspect of the program aims to create a social dialogue among Boston’s young people and encourage them to play a more active role in stemming the rising tide of violence in inner-city neighborhoods. To facilitate the process, the program will create 10 “teen cafés” in some of Boston’s most troubled neighborhoods, including Dorchester, Mattapan and Roxbury.

The cafés will operate during weekend evenings for a total of 10 weeks with the help of local churches and community- and faith-based organizations. While there, youths will be provided free food, as well as the chance to contribute to public forum discussions that would allow them to express concerns and provide ideas for solving the violence issue.

The Summer Enrichment Series will also tackle the issue of education. Though many local schools have experimented with extended days during the school year as a means of keeping kids off the streets, there are few programs that offer the same kind of attention and time commitment over the summer.

As such, the BMA’s successful Victory Generation After-School Program, which usually runs during the school year, will be offered during the summer. Through the program, young people receive academic enrichment, social skills development, and cultural and historical awareness.

“On behalf of Boston’s entire faith-based community, BMA is proud to partner with Citizens Bank and the City of Boston to address the issue of youth violence in our community,” said BMA chairman Gilbert E. Thompson, pastor of the Jubilee Christian Center in Mattapan.