The Bad News is that today's economic recession makes it even harder for at-risk, court-involved youth of color to find summer jobs and important work experience, and we all know that without a summer job and the right direction, youth can get into even worse trouble.

The Good News is that The Minority Business & Youth Alliance Network provides an excellent opportunity for you to make a real difference in the lives of at-risk, court-involved youth, right at the time that they need it, and the program even has limited funding to pay for up to 150 hours of paid internship, paid directly to youth interns. Our goal between now and June is to place 50 or more youth in summer jobs and at least 30 of them will be subsidized directly by King County.

...and The Even Better News is that stepping up to the plate...NOW... to serve community well ..NOW..and make ours a better world NOW...can also build relationships important to your business. All the high-visibility goodwill created can open doors, and grow your business..... in ways you never before imagined.

So NOW's the time to move forward with pledging to participate in the MBYA program NOW: Here is link to more info and to our on-line MBYA/VEST Business Pledge form. Please fill it out today, or call Art Johnson for more info and he can handle the simple paperwork for you. - 206-920-8067 - You can also e-mail him at artatnwc@gmail.com and we will get right back to you.