April 9, 2007
Important Message from the Chairman and President Regarding Summer Jobs
Dear Chamber Member:
We are writing to you about a critically important opportunity to help the City of
Boston
address the problem of violent youth crime. As the city and other authorities conduct law enforcement and street-based initiatives, we as business and community leaders can help make the city safer for all who live and work here.
In past years, the employer community has supported the youth of the City of
Boston
and helped prevent crime by supplying summer job opportunities and/or funding to enable the city to hire teenagers. This year, the Summer Jobs program is more important than ever.
That’s why we want to make an early appeal to urge you to make a commitment to the Summer Jobs program. As a recent op-ed in the Boston Globe highlights, summer jobs help kids build self-esteem and important job-related skills, help the employer community develop our workforce pipeline, and lead to greater stability in the neighborhoods where these kids live and go to school. By making a commitment now, you would enable the City of
Boston
to engage kids immediately, giving them something positive and structured to look forward to this summer.
Our goal is to raise $50,000 from among our member companies. You can help us reach that goal by contributing anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000 to this important effort (although any amount – large or small – would be greatly appreciated). You can also offer a job to a
Boston
teen through the Summer Jobs program. To contribute or to get involved, please contact Meredith Weenick at meredith.weenick@cityofboston.gov and copy Marie Fallon at the Chamber at mfallon@bostonchamber.com so that we at the Chamber can track our progress. If you have any questions, please call Meredith 617-635-3402.
We’re proud of the leadership that Greater Boston’s employers continue to demonstrate when our community needs support, and we appreciate your partnership in this important goal of making our city safer.
Sincerely,
Ralph C. Martin, II, Paul Guzzi
Chairman, President & CEO