WESTFIELD-After having lived in a refugee camp most of his life, Gervais Ndinamahoro is one of 52 young people across the Greater Westfield area this summer who are taking part in paid short-term work placements that can offer steps to further their education and career pathways.
Dakota Noel, 16, Zachary Saunders, 17, and Gervais Ndinamahoro, 19, are YouthWorks participants this summer at the Camp Moses Reservation. The young men are supervised by Jack Leone, on right, who oversees the camp’s grounds and maintenance.
“Gervais moved to Westfield with his family following resettlement from a refugee camp,” said Dannielle Tompkins, transition coach, East Mountain Road Transition Program, and Westfield YouthWorks coordinator. “His parents were refugees of the Rwandan genocide and spent about 17 years in a camp in Tanzania.”
On Tuesday morning at the Camp Moses Reservation, run by Boy Scouts of America, Ndinamahoro, 19, joined 13 other young men at the camp who are participating in the summer YouthWorks program, funded by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. The state program is administered by Commonwealth Corporation.
Jack Leone, who volunteers to oversee the grounds and maintenance each summer at the Camp Moses Reservation, explains how to rebuild a camp site sink to Gervais Ndinamahoro. Ndinamahoro is a YouthWorks participant again this summer.
YouthWorks targets eligible youth aged 14 to 21 residing in 31 targeted cities and towns, including Westfield, Holyoke, Chicopee and Springfield, which are represented by the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, Inc. The program’s mission is to support youth and young adults in the development of marketable skills needed in a competitive economy. Employment placements are made in a wide range of positions in public, private and nonprofit sectors.
“When I go to state trainings and debrief meetings, I find that Westfield has some opportunities that other cities are not encountering,” said Tompkins, adding that 53 percent of her participants are male and 47 percent are female. “We do not shy away from accepting youth with varying disabilities that other cities may not embrace. They are given equal footing with their peers.”
Across the area, businesses and organizations have embraced the YouthWorks program over the years including Kamp For Kids, Shaker Farms Country Club, Vivid Hair Salon, Central Baptist Church, Pilgrim Candle’s retail store, College for Kids at Westfield State University, ReStore Westfield, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield, Boy Scouts of America’s Camp Moses Reservation, Westfield High School’s maintenance and landscaping department, and the Westfield Public Schools Extended Year Programs at Fort Meadow Early Childhood, South Middle School and East Mountain Road.
“I’m a no-nonsense leader and if they do a good job I reward them,” said Jack Leone, who oversees the grounds and maintenance at Camp Moses Reservation. Leone volunteers his time for seven weeks during the summer and works closely with the YouthWorks participants.
“On day one I teach them about being punctual,” said Leone, adding the bus leaves Westfield Technical Academy at 8:30 a.m. sharp for the trip up to Camp Moses. “We also teach them leadership and life skills while they are here. There is good teamwork by everyone.”
Ndinamahoro noted he has not been late once for the bus since he started with YouthWorks two years ago.
“Jack is a good boss and makes us work,” said Ndinamahoro. “We all respect him.”
During an average week, YouthWorks participants can expect to help Leone with a variety of tasks including land clearing, clearing brush, weed whacking, cleaning and sorting camp supplies, and tent set-ups. “We also train participants on our water lines since they are above ground,” said Leone.
When jobs are done satisfactorily and timely, Leone doesn’t hesitate to reward the young men for their efforts.
“After reviewing waterfront rules, we will take the canoes, sailboats and kayaks out,” said Leone. “They look forward to it.”
Ndinamahoro noted that important skills he has learned from Leone include the importance of punctuality and creating a cohesive team. He is also a student at Westfield High School, enrolled in the English Language Learners Program.
“We know the rules and help Jack with whatever he wants done,” said Ndinamahoro. “It feels good to work hard and I am proud of what we do.”
Dakota Noel, 16, a student at Westfield Technical Academy, echoed those sentiments.
“Jack is a nice guy and he wants us to get the job done well,” said Noel. “If we do something wrong he helps us fix it. He wants the job to look nice.”
Zachary Saunders, 17, also a student at Westfield Technical Academy, concurred.
“I like to do outside work and take pride in what we do,” said Saunders. “Jack is a good boss and he makes us get the job done right which I appreciate.”
For their efforts, each YouthWorks participant receives a stipend of at least $11 an hour – the state’s minimum wage, according to Tompkins, adding that participants work 20 hours a week during the selected weeks of the program. Participants complete a total of 125 hours during the summer.
“Twenty percent of the youth we serve come from the most vulnerable groups – homeless, children of single parents, parents themselves, immigrants, those who have a documented disability, are low-income or in foster care,” said Tompkins.
While Ndinamahoro was working on the camp grounds, just a few miles down the road Zulinette “Zuli” Villanueva was overseeing children as they colored pictures before it was their turn for breakfast at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield. Villanueva, 17, is now in her third year as a YouthWorks participant. Her first two years with the program involved working one-on-one with special needs children at South Middle School. She will be a junior this fall at Westfield Technical Academy, majoring in the Allied Health Program.
Zulinette Villanueva, a YouthWorks participant, is spending the summer at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield. Villanueva is seen with Andrew Bouchard, 5, Isaac Sheaffer, 6, Lizmar Navvaro, 5, and Lilyana Oquendo, 6.
“I like the program because I get to meet a lot of people,” said Villanueva, noting she has learned a lot from her mentors including Kellie Brown, director of operations at the Boys and Girls Club.
“You learn a lot about responsibilities,” said Villanueva, noting part of her leadership training with Brown has stressed that everyone who works at the club always has to be happy. “You can’t be upset here because then the kids can get upset.”
Tompkins added that she has seen Villanueva “blossom” over the years she has been a YouthWorks participant.
“In the past three years Zuli has grown and stepped outside herself and has shown she can be a leader,” said Tompkins.
Villanueva is undecided on her career path but is still considering being an obstetrician, a social worker, owning her own day care center or working with special needs children.
Kellie Brown, director of operations, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield, meets on a regular basis with YouthWorks participant Zulinette Villanueva.
“I would recommend young people consider this program,” said Villanueva, adding she has encouraged some friends who are also now YouthWorks participants.
Kim Adamczyk, YouthWorks program assistant, said she and Tompkins are “proud” of the progress they see as the young people move through the YouthWorks program.
“We get to know them on a personal level and become mentors,” said Adamczyk. “We look forward to helping them grow and succeed.”
For Tompkins, she feels “blessed” on several fronts to be working with participants in the YouthWorks program.
“The greatest reward for us is seeing them in training, showing us they will make it through, finding their voice and articulating what they want,” said Tompkins. “We are so proud of each and every one of them. These young people are amazing and I’m so incredibly blessed to have this opportunity to work with them.”
Tompkins also noted that another “opportunity” in Westfield is its diverse international community.
“Last summer, we employed youth whose native languages were Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, Nepalese, Farsi, and a Tanzanian dialect, as well as English,” said Tompkins. “In speaking with other program coordinators, they may encounter two to three language groups. To have that level of diversity in the smallest cohort for Hampden County is something that makes Westfield unique.”
For businesses and organizations interested in participating in next summer’s YouthWorks program, contact Tompkins at (413) 204-5166 for more information. For a review of frequently asked questions on YouthWorks, visit www.commcorp.org.
“We’re mostly working with nonprofits but would like to branch out into small businesses and other for-profit areas,” said Tompkins. “The mentorships that are developed at nonprofits are amazing for our youth and help them develop their work skills but there aren’t as many options for continued employment after the summer. Finding a balance between the two is the direction I’d like to go in, in the future.”
