Mayor Frank G. Jackson's Summer Youth Employment Program continues to benefit young people across the City.
This year, the Browns, in partnership with the City of Cleveland and Youth Opportunities Unlimited, were proud to support the annual program that provides youth with a variety of jobs and internships through outdoor community projects. Through three different programs, teens were able to remove 40 tons of waste, paint 1,400 fire hydrants, and maintain 7,600 square feet of rain gardens.
The neighborhood cleanup team was able to learn about illegal dumping and the importance of keeping our city clean. This year because of COVID of course, it was a shorter session, but the youth in the program worked as hard as the youth in prior years.
The rain garden teams helped maintain two rain gardens in the city that filter storm water and keep it out of the sewer system. This all leads to a bigger mission of protecting Lake Erie and the rivers and streams that drain into it. The youth in this program learned all about landscaping, the purpose of the plants, and the water systems in Cleveland.
The third team was tasked with painting fire hydrants to help beautify the city and make the hydrants more accessible for firefighters. One of the teens in this group said, "we had a few neighbors come out and say how good of a job we did, which was really good for our team."
Throughout all three programs, youth learned the value of a good team, the sense of accomplishment that comes with receiving a paycheck, and the importance of maintaining the city where we live. All participants took the First and Ten volunteer pledge to continue to better the community in which they live. To thank them for their efforts this summer, teens also received Browns swag and even got a special congratulatory message from Browns Alum Josh Cribbs.
You can make a difference like these youth by joining our Browns First and Ten movement! This initiative was designed to inspire fans across the city to give back 10 hours in the community during the year. Since the beginning of the Browns' First and Ten movement in 2014, more than 2.75 million volunteer hours have been pledged. If you want to help give back to your community, take the First and Ten pledge here. Have you already done something to give back? Take the pledge and share your story here. If you pledge and share your story, you could be featured in our First and Ten Highlights stories!
