Citizens Bank and Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston offer Summer Enrichment Series to Boston youth
$100,000 grant from the Citizens Bank Foundation keeps kids safe through employment, engagement and educationBOSTON (July 14, 2008) - Based on the success of last year’s Summer Enrichment Series aimed at curbing youth violence, Citizens Bank and the Black Ministerial Alliance are partnering once again to bring this innovative program to Boston neighborhoods. The three-part series, funded by a $100,000 grant from the Citizens Bank Foundation, focuses on employment, engagement and education. It was created in 2007 in response to Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s appeal to the community to support the city’s youth from violence.
“Again, I’m delighted that Citizens Bank and the Black Ministerial Alliance are offering the Summer Enrichment Series to our city’s youth this summer,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “This program is an example of the pubic, private and faith-based community working together towards the common goal of keeping our children safe when school is out of session.”
Through the Summer Enrichment Series, 18 court-involved and at-risk youth have summer jobs at local faith-based organizations (Greenwood Shalom in Dorchester and Boston Urban Youth in Roxbury) and nonprofits (Bird Street Community Center in Dorchester, Artists for Humanity in Boston and Bikes Not Bombs in Jamaica Plain).
The series also includes nine Teen Cafés that offer a safe haven for young people on Thursday and Friday nights. At the cafés, youth learn violence prevention training while engaging in fun activities, including poetry slams, cook-offs, movie nights and talent shows. The cafés are located in Boston, Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan and are free and open through the first week of September.
“We are honored to be part of a program that engages young people with positive activities that stimulate their personal growth and development,” said Robert E. Smyth, president, Citizens Bank, Massachusetts. “As a company committed to supporting the communities where our customers and colleagues live and work, we are proud to continue our partnership with the city of Boston and the Black Ministerial Alliance to bring the Summer Enrichment Series back to the youth of Boston for the second consecutive year.”
The education component of the Summer Enrichment Series engages young children. This summer, more than 30 low-income children between the ages of five and 14 are receiving summer camp scholarships. Children are learning valuable academic lessons on subjects ranging from math and science to reading and writing at six summer camps located at faith-based organizations in Dorchester, Roxbury, and Chinatown.
“From job creation for youth who need a second chance, to empowering them with the necessary resources to end the cycle of violence in their homes and neighborhoods, the Summer Enrichment Series touches on the most pressing issues facing our community,” said David Wright, Executive Director, Black Ministerial Alliance. “On behalf of Boston’s faith-based community, the BMA thanks Citizens Bank for providing the resources for this initiative and Mayor Menino and the City of Boston for its support.”
About the Citizens Bank Foundation
Citizens Bank Foundation is a charitable contributions vehicle of Citizens Bank. The foundation’s support is focused on housing, community development and basic human needs.
About BMA
The Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston, established in the early 1960s, is an alliance of over 80 faith-based and community-based organizations with a 40-year history of serving the Black community in Boston. The BMA’s mission is to provide spiritual nurture for clergy, and advocacy and program services for the larger Black community. As part of its mission, the BMA demonstrates its ability to create positive change in the Boston area. BMA’s Web site is bmaboston.org.
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