REDF

When you look into Jamall Johnson’s eyes you can see that he’s someone who has a plan for his future.

Jamall dropped out of school when he was 17. By most measures, he wasn’t on a path that would lead to success. A year after leaving school, he didn’t have career prospects because he wasn’t even looking for a job. He spent his days hanging out on the streets near his San Francisco Visitacion Valley home.

“I didn’t have a job. I was running the streets. SFCC changed my life,” he said. In the summer of 2007, Jamall’s sister told him about a unique job opportunity at San Francisco Conservation Corps (SFCC). Jamall would be trained as a waste auditor, helping to pick up and sort recycling from businesses around San Francisco.

He would also be part of the outreach recycling team, where part of the job includes riding along with sanitation engineers from Sunset Scavenger (a local waste management company) and teaching people in the community how to better recycle and compost their garbage.

Jamall got the job, but he also got something more. An education.

SFCC offers young people like Jamall opportunities to develop their academic abilities and marketable job skills while addressing community needs through service work.

SFCC’s program is made possible, in part, by financial and technical assistance provided by REDF. Through long-term financial investment, sophisticated measurement tools and strategic guidance from established business leaders, REDF helps SFCC grow its social enterprise operations.

For Jamall, this meant that in addition to learning new job skills, he also had the opportunity to earn academic credits toward his high school diploma.

Jamall enrolled in classes that take place before his workday begins. After being in class for a few months something unexpected happened for Jamall. Not only was he gaining knowledge through his classes, he found that for the first time in his life he really enjoyed learning.

“It makes me like school. I’m trying to do something with myself,” he said. “I’m 20 credits away from graduation. As soon as I get my diploma, that’s a bigger step. I’ll know I’ve really done something.”

After he earns his diploma, Jamall hopes to work at Sunset Scavenger as a sorter. Once individuals like Jamall sucessfully complete SFCC's progam, they typically secure a job with a company such as PG&E or the Department of Public Works. Some SFCC graduates recieve a salary wage as high as $17 per hour in addition to benefits.

“Recycling is the future, and I know a lot about it,” Jamall said.