I could not have imagined a more rewarding career after retiring from the United States Marine Corps. First I met fellow veteran Spencer Bartley, a motivator who believed a winner could start being a winner by speaking with his mouth and believing in his heart, "I'm a winner." Not long after that, I wrote some goals, met some other enterprising Americans who had also written goals, and before I knew it, I found myself gainfully employed for another 20 years. Today, I get to work with heirs of historically disadvantaged Americans who back in the day had been valued as "minorities." I am so grateful for a DAILY chance to win a chance with WINNERS at YouthUSA.
I have been working with YouthUSA since its inception. I find the board to be innovative and the organization to be transparent. I am especially excited about their Learn-2-Earn project, which includes a partnership with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to get disadvantaged persons banked, out of debt, and having a greater understanding of finance. Their focus has been youth, ages 7-24, their families and communities where they live, learn, work and worship. Although staff have been approved for salaries, their commitment to "give back" has resulted in every staff member providing pro-bono services. Their intake process, which requires the identification of your individual goals in seven areas, provides a road-map for success. By naming a Whole Village for each youth beneficiary, there is capacity to support the Spiritual, Physical, Social, Financial, Educational, Professional and Recreational needs of each participant.