New Door Ventures

About New Door Ventures

Nearly Everyone Remembers Their First Job As A Teenager, Whether It Was Babysitting The Next-Door Neighbor?S Children Or Working At A Fast Food Restaurant Or Selling Clothes At The Mall. For Many, The Memory That Stands Out Just As Vividly Is The Day They Received Their First Paycheck. In Addition To Being A Source Of Pride, That Paycheck Was A Symbol Of Financial Freedom, A First Step On The Path To Independence And Adulthood.For At-Risk Youth Residing In The San Francisco, The Task Of Obtaining That First Job Is Fraught With Hurdles That Can Be Difficult To Overcome. A Majority Of These Young People Face Numerous Social, Health, And Behavioral Challenges Including Poverty, Chaotic Family Environments, Educational Underachievement, Lack Of Available And Supportive Parents Or Adults, Homelessness, Mental Illness, Substance Abuse Problems, And A History With Gangs Or Crime.Without Access To Job Training, Critical Support Services, And A Community Of Responsible Adults And Peers, It Can Be Extremely Difficult For At-Risk Youth In San Francisco To Attain The Higher Education And Stable Employment Needed To Become Self-Sufficient Adults. The Consequences To Society Can Be Dramatic, Particularly In Terms Of Increased Tax Dollars Applied To Public Assistance Benefits And To Costs For Incarcerating First-Time And Repeat Juvenile Offenders. Additionally, By Not Investing In Programming That Recognizes Young People As Assets To The Community At Large And That Nurtures Their Potential, The Moral And Spiritual Strength Of Society As A Whole Is Compromised.