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Youth Empowerment Center - Success Stories Why I Try To Help I owned a retail store and I hired 2 part-time high school students. They both were from broken homes and had very little money. The 2 young girls were so happy to have a job. It was their first job. My rules were they had to attend school and keep good grades in order for them to keep their jobs. Everything was great for the about 6 months. I had grown to like the young girls and would do what I could to help and always counseling them on various topics that young girls faced.
By Lorraine Bowman
One of the girls started skipping school, getting into fights, running away from home. Eventually she ran away from home for good. For about 6 months she was living on the streets and her mother would call me crying every day asking me to help her daughter. The young girl was still trying to come to work even though she was not attending school. I reminded her of the rules. No school no job. She walked out.
Months later she came back to the store these were her exact words " Ms Lorraine you always tried to help us and I did not listen. I am ready to change and do better now. I want to do something with my life. You remember you said you would do whatever you could to help me."
I really did not know the impact I would have on that young lady. I counseled her on everything from etiquette, business, how to find a job, career and career choices, decreasing her antisocial behavior, and increased family communication.
I am very proud to say that the same young lady went back to high school and she went on to beauty school now she owns her own beauty supply and hair salon. Her name is Anne Lockette.
I gave a fashion show. All of the participants were at-risk young girls. It was an experience I will never forget. They were so unruly and would not take or listen to instructions. I found out that a lot of the girls had never had on an evening gown or a nice dress suit before. At the end of it all everything worked out great. The show was fantastic.
The next week one of the young girls came to the store and said " Ms Lorraine, We are sorry we gave you such a hard time, it's just nobody had every been nice to us we just did not know how to act. We feel so good about ourselves because we did not think that we could ever do or amount to anything" I cannot remember her name. She did not work for me and had just participated in the fashion show
I gave a program for at-risk males that had been in the juvenile justice system but were back in school trying to get an education. I called the high school and asked the principle for a list of young men you were trying to change their lives for the better. We gave them certificates of achievement and had a number of educators and counselors come to speak to them on various issues and concerns that these young men face on a daily basis. We also gave them dinner and provided entertainment.
There were 18 names on the list. 10 showed up for the program and 2 went on to college. I misplaced the list and the principle is no longer at that school. Those young men could not believe that someone would do something like that for them. I felt that high achievers get recognition, so why not give someone recognition who made mistakes but were trying to get their lives on the right track.
Youth Empowerment
Lorraine Bowman, President
4249 Manzanita Drive
San Diego, California 92105
info@empowering-youth.org
