Alternatives for Community and Environment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 21, 2010

Contact:
David Jenkins, ACE/REEP
(617) 442-3343 x225
Cell: (857) 919-0649

PHOTO AND INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES

Teens sell Sour Scott Lemonade and ask Scott Brown to vote for summer jobs funding

When: Monday, May 24, 2010, 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Where: Corner of Cambridge Street and New Sudbury Street, in front of the JFK Federal Building, Boston, MA 02203 (near Government Center MBTA Station)

Who: Boston teens.

Why: On Monday, youth from the Roxbury Environmental Empowerment Project (REEP) of Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE), with support from the Youth Jobs Coalition, will call attention to cuts in summer jobs funding and ask Senator Scott Brown to vote to bring more teen summer jobs to the state.

The Sour Scott Lemonade stand will raise money for the under-funded Boston Youth Fund, the city’s summer employment program for 15- to 17-year-olds. The Youth Fund has been unable to keep pace with the need for summer employment.

On March 19, Senator Brown voted down an amendment sponsored by John Kerry that would have funded approximately 6,700 teen summer jobs in Massachusetts. Teens have estimated that it will take nearly 25 million cups of fresh lemonade at 50 cents per cup to recoup the funds from Senator Brown’s “No” vote.

Senator Brown has two upcoming chances to fulfill his campaign promise of bringing jobs to Massachusetts when he votes on the Unemployment & Medicaid Extension and the Disaster Relief and Summer Jobs Act later this month. Each measure could put thousands of teens to work in Massachusetts this summer. Youth plan to ask Senator Brown to deliver the proceeds to the BYF, putting pressure on him to do the rest of the work by voting “Yes” for youth jobs.