News Letter 2^ND Quarter ‘05

AJIE convened an Ad Hoc committee of Social/Capital Entrepreneurs composed of some very significant organizational heads in New York City. Composed of Mary Ann Higgins – Regional Administrator of the Administration for Children & Families, Dr. Lonnie McLeod – President of Exodus Transitional Community, David DuPuy – Vice President – Welfare to Work Partnership, Rev. Michael Faulkner – Board of New York City Commission on Youth and Community Assistance, Freeman McNeil – Former New York Jets All American, Mark Jaffe – President of Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, Jim Flaherty – Vice President IT Network Consultants, John Carter – President of Institute 4 Increased Productivity.

The committee came together around the issue of “Challenges facing Minority Youth ages 18 -25”. It was recognized that in New York City alone there were at least 200,000 young adults in this category with perhaps 3000 being currently served. Rev. Faulkner reported to the group that the issues impacting this group were HIV Aids, high percentage of high school dropout rate, 50/55% unemployment, high incidence of crime and incarceration, and out of wedlock birth rate. We find that 80% of those killed in Kings County is at the hand of someone under 23. This population is a group of individuals without connections with the reality that more adolescents want to be in more permanent stable homes to grow up in.

When the committee considered what made up this group, it concluded that they were runaways, street youth and aged out foster care children. Especially in the area of foster care children, they end up being the feeder for the sociological pathologies of the young adult group. It is astounding to see how many foster care children end up as the new perps in prison each year.

The Ad Hoc Group identified efforts that it believes needs to be supported and expanded. Developing in the area are programs that mentoring children of prisoners, adult mentoring programs, healthy marriage initiatives, and prison re-entry programs like Exodus Transitional Community in west Harlem. Other initiatives showing promise is the First Lady’s Initiative related to adolescent youth that targets those involved with gang life. There are also some federal programs designed to support those aging out of foster care. 

The committee concluded that its work should evolve around a strength based approach that would support programs that would help young people connect with caring adults. The targeted agenda would be to find an anchor program in the community that would be conducive building a collaborative model around it that can be replicated.