Store
By JR Valrey, the People’s Minister of Information and editor in chief of the SF Bay View
In a capitalist economy, having an income can be the difference between whether you live or die. Many people are unemployed and considered unemployable, simply because they do not have the prerequisites to be employed; they may not have the clothing, the education, or the ability to speak in a certain fashion.
During the summer, when the youth are let out of school for break, community advocate and San Francisco native Stormy Henry uses this time to facilitate her Boss Down Youth Group, which consists of four weeks of rigorous training that prepare youth on how to get employed. If you know any youth that may be interested, sign ups for the program start in May and go through June. Check out Stormy Henry in her own words.
JR Valrey: What inspired the founding of the Boss Down Youth Group? Who started it? How long has it been going on?
Stormy Henry: The inspiration for my program comes from the lack of work etiquette and job training that I had to have to get my foot into workforce development, and the lack of genuine care about youth getting jobs and keeping them. I, myself started this program and it is in the second year and third session coming this summer, in July.
JR Valrey: What does the program consist of? Why are these skills important for young people entering the workforce to have?
Stormy Henry: The program consists of cursive writing, which has been taken away from our children’s education practices although they need that to sign documents to gain employment. It also consists of mock interviews, mock dressing, time etiquette, workplace guidelines and rules. All these skills that I’m providing in his program are things that would have given me a heads up in the workforce. I had to learn these things through trial and error, costing me time and much needed money to feed my family. So with these skills that are character building skills, it gives them that much needed boost of confidence they need to succeed.
JR Valrey: How long is the program on a daily basis? For how many weeks?
Stormy Henry: The program is four weeks, and twice a week for 2 hours. It’s a total of eight classes and one community service day that they help serve and give out free groceries to the community. This adds to their resume building for teamwork and community service. So there’s nine total classes and a stipend for their performance and completion of the program.
JR Valrey: What are the qualifications for youth to join? When does enrollment open?
Stormy Henry: The qualifications for the program are as follows: must be in middle school or high school, and open enrollment starts in May and June, with minimum availability.
JR Valrey: How is this program funded? Are participants asked to pay to participate?
Stormy Henry: This program is currently being funded through the AAACC and the program is free to all youth who want to join.
JR Valrey: How long have you been doing work with the youth in the Black community?
Stormy Henry: I’ve been working with youth for over the past five to eight years, from summer lunch programs to facilitating big field trips for my whole community as President of the Resident Council.
JR Valrey: Where are you from in the City?
Stormy Henry: I was born and raised in the City’s historic Fillmore District by way of Hunters Point. My instagram page is open and is usually the only way I have to promote the program. The AAACC will be adding me to the website soon.
JR Valrey, The People’s Minister of Information, is the Editor in Chief of the SF Bay View. He is also the instructor for the San Francisco Bay View’s Community Journalism Class, which is funded by the California State Library.
