The t-shirt you are wearing is much more than a nice team-builder from KKR—it tells the story of a life transformed by a job. It tells Curtis’ story. 

A Fresh Start for Curtis

“It seemed as though I blew everything, before I had the chance to do anything." Curtis' feelings about his life before he encountered Ashbury Images are common feelings among at-risk youth. You see, Curtis is a capable young man who struggled to find a job because of his past mistakes. When given the opportunity to work at a real job, learn job-training skills, and receive individualized support, Curtis' confidence in himself and contribution to the business grew.

Rebuilding Lives, One Shirt at a Time

Curtis was given that chance to work at Ashbury Images, a social enterprise run by San Francisco-based nonprofit New Door Ventures. Ashbury Images rebuilds lives one shirt at a time by providing paid employment, job training, and supportive services to at-risk youth recovering from poverty, substance abuse and homelessness.

As you can see in the photos, youth employees at Ashbury Images expertly screen printed the t-shirts you are wearing. Ashbury is proud to add KKR to a customer list that includes Pixar, Habitat for Humanity International, Safeway, and Peet’s Coffee among many others.

See What A Job Can Do™

Ashbury Images is just one of the 50 social enterprises supported by REDF—an organization founded by George and Leanne Roberts fifteen years ago. Observing the growing number of people living on the streets of the San Francisco Bay Area, George and Leanne set out to do something to help those who had fallen on hard times.

Roberts reflected on methods that had worked well at KKR. He proposed an alternative to Band-Aid solutions. "I could see how the power and proven practices of the business world could be applied to this problem to bring real solutions." He also recognized the value of a job. “If people don’t have a job, they don’t have hope. If you don’t have hope, what do you really have?”

The result was REDF, also known as The Roberts Enterprise Development Fund, a California-based venture philanthropy organization that invests in nonprofit-run businesses—social enterprises—that employ individuals who are overcoming chronic poverty, homelessness, criminal history, substance abuse or mental illness. 

Stay Connected

Get periodic updates on REDF’s efforts to put thousands more people like Curtis in jobs by 2015.