SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes and Juma have collaborated to bring employment and career development opportunities to at-risk youth at Quakes home games at Avaya Stadium for two years. Juma is a not-for-profit organization that strives to break the cycle of poverty by paving the way to work, education, and financial capability for youth across America.
Juma, along with the City of San Jose, has employed young members of the local community at a variety of locations, including Avaya Stadium. Every individual in the program is 16-24 years old and is either in high school, aspiring to be first in their family to go to college, or are considered a disconnected youth, meaning they are not currently working or enrolled in school.
Juma,one of the country’s largest social enterprises, employs youth to sell concessions in major sports and entertainment venues, so they can get training and experience, earn an income, build financial capability and, ultimately, improve their economic well-being. Juma believes in the power of a first job as a tool to empower youth from underserved communities to create personal and social change. In 2017, Juma is employing more than 1,000 youth across nine cities in the United States.
About Juma
In 1993, Juma Ventures became the first nonprofit organization to own and operate a commercial franchise—a single Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop in San Francisco. The initial enterprise gave homeless youth the job experience they needed to transition from living on the streets to enjoying a sustainable livelihood and stable adulthood. Juma has since grown from a job-training and placement program serving a handful of youths to a comprehensive, award-winning, national youth development program operating in 20+ venues across the U.S. and is considered one of the nation’s premier social enterprise programs.
