After years of anticipation, the city of Seattle finally called forth a long fabled legend: The Kraken. The new hockey team, named for a mythical serpent-like sea monster, has taken up residence at the former Key Arena, now refurbished and newly dubbed Climate Pledge Arena. With the Kraken’s first match taking place in October of 2021, Juma Seattle was thrilled to be part of the crew welcoming fans to this new sports experience.
“We were excited when we found out about this opportunity because, in addition to providing a new environment for Juma Youth to work toward their goals, Climate Pledge also provides the shifts we need for year-round employment,” explained Lainie Farmer, Juma Seattle Site Manager. With 250 events per year and Juma staffing 26 young people per event, the earning and learning potential at Climate Pledge is truly a game changer for Juma Seattle youth.
The partnership was percolating long before Climate Pledge opened its doors to welcome the Kraken–Juma Seattle earned their place in the new arena while proving their commitment to excellence at Seattle’s long standing baseball park, T-Mobile. Steve Dominguez, former District Manager for Centerplate at the ballpark, took over the role of General Manager at Delaware North, Climate Pledge Arena’s Master Concessionaire, in 2021. As the head of concessions for the newly refurbished arena, when he heard Juma was looking for a seat at the table, he was familiar with the quality of service Juma could provide and helped to pave the way for this promising new venture.
At Climate Pledge Arena, Juma youth have the chance to work in varied roles, from supervising self-checkout stands at local dim-sum legend Din Tai Fung to offering up a host of sweet treats at Emerald City Ice Cream and Local Lolli. As an outside staffing service, Juma is often asked to step in when a need arises at the last minute, but through those opportunities, Juma youth have earned a reputation for reliability and customer service excellence. Since beginning work at the new venue, several Juma youth have become favorites with businesses inside the arena, some even being requested by name when a need arises. Climate Pledge guests have also voiced positive praise for Juma youth who have gone above and beyond to give fans an excellent experience.
“The consistency of shift availability has opened up new avenues for youth to gain confidence through succeeding at work and also keeps money in their pockets,” explained Lainie. “We’ve received a ton of positive feedback and even had our contract increased because of how successful Juma’s young people have been. It’s been really great to see.”
As The Kraken settle into their new home and sports fans enjoy new opportunities to get out and support them on their home turf, Juma Seattle is grateful to be a part of that experience. “The message we’re getting from all sides is clear: people know they can count on Juma and our youth. It’s a very exciting time for Seattle and we’re grateful to be a part of it,” cites Lainie.
