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Service Provides Help, Hope For Young Job Seekers

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Nov 20, 2009 5:58 pm US/Pacific

Service Provides Help, Hope For Young Job Seekers

San Francisco Non-Profit Offers Job Hunting Assistance to Young People with Not-so-perfect Past

Reporting
Sue Kwon
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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) ― Young people between the ages of 16-24 are much more likely to be unemployed than any other age group. Those with problems in their past face even longer odds. But Matchbridge, a non-profit organization in San Francisco, is helping young people of all backgrounds find jobs.

Back when she was 16, Ashley Lewis was selling drugs on the streets of Oakland. Today, at 20, she's selling paint, hardware and toys at Cliff's Variety Store in San Francisco's Castro district.It wasn't an easy journey.

Lewis worried her criminal record could be a life-long liability. 

"I felt like I couldn't make it because of what I'd done,"  Lewis recalled.

But Lewis wanted to work.  She found her way to Matchbridge, a non-profit agency in San Francisco open to all city residents between the ages of 16 and 21. 

Maya Gutknecht is a Youth Specialist at Matchbridge.  She helps guide young people through the process of looking for a job.

"I tell them 'let's figure out what you want, let's make some goals, and let's go after that," Gutknecht said.  

Gutknecht says part of her job is helping keep clients like Lewis from getting discouraged. 

"When I see a youth with potential, I let them know, even if they have struggles, even if they have barriers and obstacles. I say 'I know you have a lot of potential, and this is just a tough time right now," she said.

Gutknecht realized Lewis' outgoing personality would be a good fit at Cliff's and encouraged her to apply for a clerk's job. 

During the interview, Lewis was honest about her past and showed she was hopeful about her future. In the end, she beat out several other candidates for the job. 

Lewis says learning she got the job was one of the best moments of her life. 

"I was shocked. I felt like crying because it was a like a new beginning for me," Lewis said. 

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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