For our youth and our communities, 2017 has been a challenge that is overwhelming at times.

Juma recently held a listening session with some of our youth in our San Francisco office and they were confused, angry and scared about the state of the country. They worried about the status of immigrants in the U.S., including people they love. They worried about the future of healthcare and affordable education. Above all, they feared an increase in hatred and bigotry spreading across the country and the impact that is being felt in their communities.

Juma is using the takeaways from these sessions to set the basis of our advocacy efforts. We are also working to set up legal rights trainings for our staff and youth so they can be prepared to respond to whatever situations that may arise. We believe that these efforts will help protect and empower our communities.

This year, while continuing to focus on helping our youth overcome barriers to employment, education and financial achievement, we will also be looking more broadly at the different issues affecting our youth, exploring how we can best respond. Stay tuned.