Press Release: 4/11/2025
100 Youth Leaders from Youth Groups Visit House and Senate Ways and Means asking for increased Youth Jobs Funding
Press Contacts: Keturah Brewster (857) 333-8985 and Norieliz De Jesus (857) 364-9036
--YouthWorks Youth Jobs Program Faces Major Cut for Summer 2026 Unless Funding is Increased in the FY 26 Budget
--100 Youth Visit the Offices of House Ways and Means Chair Rep. Aaron Mitchlewitz and Senate Ways and Means Chair Senator Michael Rodrigues to ask for help
With the FY 26 House Ways and Means Budget being released next week, 100 youth leaders from youth organizations got themselves after school to the State House at 4:00 on Thursday. They are asking for the YouthWorks Youth Jobs Program to get a $5.9 million increase to prevent a major cut of thousands of jobs that will otherwise happen in Summer 2026.
They are asking for this money to come from the $2 Billion in Millionaire's Tax funding that will be decided on in the FY 26 budget.
These youth organizations brought youth leaders to this event:
La Colaborativa (Chelsea), I Have a Future (Dorchester), More Than Words (South End and Waltham), Boston Asian Youth Essential Services (Boston Chinatown and the South End).
Keturah Brewster of the I Have Future Youth Organization and Norieliz De Jesus of La Colaborativa led the organizing of the rally.
Senator Liz Miranda (D-Boston) spoke to the youth and urged them to keep stepping up. She shared the challenges she faced with a father and brothers in prison. That she worked 15 years as a youth worker before being elected to office. And she was from a family of 11 kids. She's worked closely with youth organizations on this issue as a State Representative and a State Senator.
Representative Mary Keefe (D-Worcester) spoke about working on youth jobs funding before she ran for election when she directed the Pleasant Street Neighborhood Association. And its funding has been one of her priorities as a State Representative. And she's from a family of 10 kids.