Savory aromas of fresh food waft from the rows of stalls at the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market, sponsored by the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA). CUESA is a local nonprofit and also a long-time jobsite partner of New Door’s Ally program. Over the past few years, Lulu and Dexter, the operations directors of the farmers’ market, have hosted and supervised ten interns from New Door.

“We have such big needs here at the farmers’ market and such a big area to cover. The interns help us do what we wouldn’t otherwise be able to do. It’s a mutually beneficial experience. The Ally program fits really well with us—the interns get job experience and we get extra help with running the market.”

In addition to that extra help, Lulu and Dexter have also received intensive support and guidance from the youth development staff at New Door.

“The staff at New Door is great. They check in with us and communicate really well. It’s really helpful to be able to sit down with the interns and the New Door staff and talk about how the interns are doing. They are really good at facilitating that and keeping it positive.”

“Having the New Door case managers so involved in interns’ lives helps them be successful here as well. The young people who are dedicated and go to New Door’s job-training meetings every week and show up to their job sites are getting a really positive experience. The Ally program is really helpful to them.”

In fact, some of the interns have excelled to such a degree during their three month internship that they have been hired on as regular staff after graduating from the Ally program.

“From the ten interns we’ve hosted, we’ve had three youth that we’ve hired. Andrea, our last hire through the program, was someone that was just really sharp and really got it. She’s been wonderful. We love her!

“I know the other interns we hosted have gone on to other jobs now, so it’s great to see that progress. I really believe that once interns leave the Ally program, they will be alright; they’ll transition into a good career and beyond.

“And the New Door staff is also really helpful even after youth graduate from the program, making sure that the young person is still on the right track and checking in with them.” Andrea, after her completion of the Ally program, spent two hours per week at New Door working with her former case manager to help her find childcare and get her GED.

“Ally is such an important experience for the youth, and there are great benefits for any organization. I would highly recommend becoming an Ally partner to any business.”

** Andrea and CUESA’s stories were written by Alison Petro, a junior at UC Santa Cruz and a volunteer intern at New Door for summer ’09. “I gave my time and writing skills so that New Door can better tell the story of their work because their programs make a huge impact in people’s lives and they really care about youth on an individual level.”