Dear Juma Community,

As I write this note, I find myself reflecting on the numerous stories of success and opportunity attained by Juma youth throughout our organization’s history. I also find myself struggling to come to terms with the reality of living in a period of time where the future is uncertain for everyone, and our Juma youth are among the most impacted.

One of our Atlanta youth is a cashier at Mercedes Benz Stadium. This young man has been living in a shelter and saving his income to find more permanent housing. On top of the disruption to his savings plan, having a job is a condition to live at the shelter. Right now there are many question marks in his life, but possibly the biggest is whether they will waive that requirement while Mercedes Benz stadium remains closed.

A young woman from Juma San Jose who lives in a foster group home is concerned about getting groceries. She receives a gift card to Safeway once a week, restricting her ability to obtain essential resources. With shelter in place restrictions, and the uncertainty surrounding what future weeks hold, she begins to wonder whether she will be able to get the resources she needs, when she needs them.

During unprecedented times like these, our Juma Youth will be at the frontlines of uncertainty. Whether it is a working student trying to save for college or to help his or her family, or a worker lacking the income to cover his or her very basic needs, all of our youth will be affected by the evolving changes and challenges we are facing.

Juma was founded to support and provide tangible opportunities for youth, and I am determined that we must continue to be there for them over the weeks and months to come, when they may need us more than ever before. Show our youth how strong their community can be by supporting them directly today.

 

Stay well,

Adriane