Big Sister Boston Logo

Putting Teams To Work

Posted 09/13/2010

Boston Business Journal Logo

To the editor: The outlook was bleak for teens seeking jobs in Boston this past summer. Unemployment was already hovering around 9 percent for Massachusetts residents, and predictions were made that nationally only about one-quarter of teens seeking summer jobs would actually get them.
 
Four young women, supported by the Boston Youth Fund, worked at Big Sister Association of Greater Boston during July and August. Each of them told us that had it not been for this job opportunity they most likely would have been sitting at home, watching TV, playing on the computer or just hanging out.
 
However, their experience was more than just a chance to get out of the house, earn some money and stay on the path to success. These four young women, working in an environment whose mission is dedicated to supporting the healthy development of women and girls, got a taste of the respect, responsibility and confidence that comes with a job well done.
 
If we are to build a better Boston it is clear that we must work together in support of the healthy development of our youth. We have the power to keep them safe, build their confidence, and even change the trajectory of their lives. As a business community, we have so much to offer them, and sometimes the best offer we can make is simply a job.
 
Deborah Re
Chief executive officer,
Big Sister Association of Greater Boston