Over the course of the last three months, the rituals and habits that once made up our daily routines have suddenly come to a halt. We had no idea what life would look like for our organization or our youth during the COVID era, but one reality was abundantly clear: work would not be an option. We knew that we would need your help to make sure our youth remained financially stable, engaged in training, and ready for work when the time comes.

When we began our When Work Is Not An Option campaign, we set off with a modest goal of $75,000. Much to our amazement, we quickly surpassed that number and increased our goal to $150,000, then to $250,000. Today, I am so thankful for donors like you who have raised nearly $300,000! Thank you!

 

 

Three months after shelter in place became the norm, we continue to ensure that our young people are earning and learning while staying connected to their Juma community, but with a twist! I am proud to say that we have adapted to our surroundings and have completely digitized our programming. While our youth are without work, they continue to engage in professional development, complete online learning modules and work with their program coordinators so that when work is once again an option, they are prepared to jump right in.

 

 

We have been humbled and feel a great sense of gratitude for all who have kept up with us on this journey. It certainly does not end here, but thanks to you we have gained solid footing in our new world. While we don’t know what life will look like three months from now, we do know that we have the benefit of maintaining the resources we need to get through this.

Programs might look different for now, but we are still here and we are still putting youth first. Thank you again for your support!

Sincerely,

Adriane

PS – A special thank you to all of our individual donors and our corporate and foundation donors, including: