Seeding Creativity and Understanding in Young Leaders

Since 1988, Bread for the Journey chapters have micro-granted over three million dollars to help creative people launch projects that make their communities more vital, healthy, and just. Over half of the grants Bread for the Journey chapters have ever made – 313 in all – have seeded projects that improve the wellbeing of vulnerable children and youth. This month, we offer just a few recent examples of projects that help vulnerable youth connect to their own creativity and leadership to heal what is broken and give back to their communities.

Giving Voice to Promising Young Leaders

In Austin, Texas, Bread for the Journey is helping to cultivate the creativity of young artists to be leaders in their communities. “The CIPHER – Austin ’s Hip Hop Project” provides training, exposure to the Austin music industry, and other new experiences for youth living in educationally and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in East Austin. The founders’ vision is to help develop young leaders, writers, spoken-word and Hip-Hop artists, with the intent of strengthening these communities in various ways.

The teachers themselves grew up in East Austin, and found ways to make their voices heard through the arts. The project has recruited 25 young adults (ages 15-21), mostly referred by probation officers and various social-service organizations throughout Austin. By engaging the youth in community events, rallies and festivals, and providing opportunities to meet with committed mentors, musicians, poets, and community leaders, they will establish positive relationships, develop new coping skills, and create their own opportunities in culturally relevant ways. Bread for the Journey of Austin was delighted to support the production of the Project’s first CD with a $1000 grant.

Many and One

Pious Ali has a dream. After years of working with youth groups in Portland, Maine on issues around race, poverty, hunger and immigration, he saw the failure to understand people with different backgrounds as a root cause of so much misunderstanding and suffering. Ready for change, Ali founded the Maine Interfaith Youth Alliance, which is dedicated to bringing together youth of diverse religious, national, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds who are interested in bridging gaps and coming to understand and appreciate each other more deeply. MIYA will facilitate regular gatherings, educational programs and communal art projects that speak to our collective need to know and love each other in spite of our differences. Their Interfaith Youth Service program will bring youth of various traditions together for annual service projects that benefit the Greater Portland community. Pious' dream is everyone's dream: to live together with mutual respect, understanding and creativity. Bread for the Journey of Portland gave $1800 to Maine Interfaith Youth Alliance to purchase a laptop computer and other startup supplies to bring this dream to life.

Incarcerated Youth: Inspiring Empathy, Building Skills.

In the Seattle area, a unique program allows incarcerated youth in Echo Glen — a high security juvenile corrections facility — to rescue dogs from shelters, train them as service dogs, and operate and manage a boarding kennel. Through “patience, persistence, praise, and practice,” the kids train and socialize dogs rescued from “dog death row,” which are later adopted out into the larger community. The dogs help the kids learn to change their own behavior, and the kids discover their capacity to help others. Youth leave Echo Glen with a stronger sense of their own strengths and with newfound skills as dog trainers, groomers, kennel managers, vet technicians, and responsible pet owners. Bread for the Journey of Seattle gave $300 to Canine Connections in support of this remarkable program.

Kids “On the Bricks” Give Back

Last year, BFJ of Oakland, California gave a seed grant of $1,000 to help launch On the Bricks, a grassroots mentoring and internship program to help incarcerated youth recently released from prison or juvenile hall to reenter the Oakland community. On the Bricks (a term for returning to the streets from prison) engages youth in one-on-one and peer group counseling, job preparedness, citizens’ rights workshops, community service, and outdoor adventures. On the heels of their new found success, several project graduates approached project leader Tony Coleman with the desire to help others by sharing what they learned. Former program participants will be trained to facilitate workshops in the Bay Area for at-risk and formerly incarcerated youth. The workshops will be tailored to youth, young adults, and staff with a focus on political education, conflict resolution, and leadership. Bread for the Journey of Oakland granted $600 to One Fam, the sponsoring organization, as seed money to help the program get off the ground.

Bread for the Journey: Cultivating a Bright Future

In twenty cities and towns across the country, Bread for the Journey chapters are helping bring to life projects that cultivate the healing, creativity and leadership of young people. Small grant by small grant, we are investing in the bright resilience of children and youth today, and the vitality and wholeness of our communities into the future.

Click here to read the previous INSPIRATIONS.