Youth Force, an initiative of Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation, is a youth-led, adult supported community organizing program which exists to create positive and systemic change in the Dorchester community by developing teen leaders and engaging in grass roots campaign work. Youth Force works to improve the lives of young people and the community at large by helping teens gain the skills, knowledge and motivation they need to build power, engage civically and win the concrete changes they want to see in their own lives and own community.
Throughout its four-year history Youth Force has developed the leadership of over one hundred local teens and has helped to make many concrete changes that have bettered the community around issues such as neighborhood cleanliness and violence reduction. Currently, Youth Force has a Core Leadership Team (CLT) of 8 teen leaders and a membership base of 40 active members. In order to achieves its mission Youth Force is divided into two committees-Youth Force Base Builders which exists to develop a membership base of teens in order to build the power of Youth Force and the A.R.T.E. Committee (Action Research for Teen Employment) which exists to engage in campaign work and win concrete changes around youth employment issues in Dorchester, Boston and the State of Massachusetts.
Dorchester Bay EDC was founded in 1979 to address a number of issues going on in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. In 1979 Dorchester was dealing with high unemployment, violence, a lack of good jobs and a lack of good housing. Dorchester Bay was founded to attempt to organize the community to address these concerns and has since been very successful.
Over the last 31 years Dorchester Bay has helped to build over 700 units of affordable housing which has provided high quality housing for several thousand low-income residents of Dorchester. It has helped to start dozens of new businesses which give Dorchester residents good places to buy groceries and other necessary items as well as provide needed jobs to community residents. Lastly, Dorchester Bay has put a lot of time and resources into building community leaders who have been able to work on issues like reducing violence in the community.
Dorchester Bay’s mission is to build a strong, thriving, and diverse community in Boston’s north Dorchester neighborhoods. Working closely with neighborhood residents and partners, we find and use resources to:
• develop and preserve affordable homeownership and rental housing,
• create and sustain commercial and economic development opportunities, and
• build community power through organizing and leadership development.
Youth Force needs funding so it can continue to build youth leaders who can make positive changes in their community. We need support to pay for staff time so there are caring adults who can support our teen leaders. We also need funding to provide stipends for our teen leaders.
Name of Organization:Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation
Number of Paid Staff:22 f/t, 12 p/t
Number of Volunteers:50
Total Organizational Expenses:$2,913,636
% of Organizational Overhead Expenses:70%
Youth Force is different from other youth leadership programs because it engages teens in real political change. Youth Force leaders don’t just talk about the changes they want to make they actually go out and make those changes. Our teen leaders have built relationships with powerful players in State and City government as well as corporate leaders so they can make concrete changes. This has resulted in millions of dollars of funding for youth opportunities and has helped the lives of countless teens.
Senator Hart agreed to ask for four million dollars in additional State funding for youth jobs.
Career Assistance
Children
Education
Poverty
Self Esteem
We are currently engaged in an initiative to bring together the teens in Youth Force who live in neighborhoods like Dorchester and Roxbury with teens living in the suburbs around Boston. We welcome any teens who are interested in participating. There would be opportunities to build relationships together, learn from each other and work social justice together.
Name:Daniel Gelbtuch
Title:Dorchester Bay Youth Force Director
Address:594 Columbia Rd., Dorchester, MA 02125
Telephone:(617) 825-4200 x203
Email:dgelbtuch@dbedc.org
Website:WWW.DBEDC.ORG