Brooklyn Borough President

BOROUGH PRESIDENT VISITS TEENS WHO'VE LANDED WORK THROUGH INNOVATIVE SUMMER JOBS PROGRAM

Brooklyn businesses have pledged over 180 jobs for Brooklyn Summer HEAT

Photograph by Kathryn Kirk
	In photo: left to right - Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation Director of Community Development James Sanford, Central Brooklyn Medical Group COO Wes McMillian, Summer HEAT employee Tenisecia Palmer, Borough President Markowitz, Summer HEAT employee Ronnielyn Charles, Summer HEAT employee Shakeira Summers, Michael Lomenzo from the Central Brooklyn Medical Group, and Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Director of Workforce Development Randy Peers.

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz visited Brooklyn teens on the job today, who are taking part in Brooklyn Summer HEAT (Help Employ Ambitious Teens), a program created to encourage both private and non-profit organizations to hire Brooklyn young people, ages 16 -18, this summer. Borough President Markowitz stopped by the Brooklyn Heights branch of the Central Brooklyn Medical Group, P.C., which has hired almost 30 teens at 10 different clinics throughout the borough. In just its second year, over 180 jobs have been pledged by 50 Brooklyn employers participating in Summer HEAT.

“This really is Brooklyn at its best. This is a great way to give some very deserving young people a chance to earn more than a pay check; there also earning self-respect,” Borough President Markowitz said. “These teens are being exposed to so many new and exciting things. They are learning about discipline, respect and meeting expectations. I also want to thank, from the bottom of my heart, the 50 Brooklyn employers who’ve made Summer HEAT such a success. You are the backbone of Brooklyn.”

“Central Brooklyn Medical Group is thrilled to be participating in such an important program. We are committed to the communities that we serve, and Summer HEAT is an excellent way to give a group of great young people the opportunity to learn new skills that will help them today, tomorrow and in the future,” Central Brooklyn Medical Group, P.C. CEO Dr. Byron Toyloy said.

Borough President Markowitz met with Ronnielyn Charles, 16, from Fort Greene, Tenisecia Palmer, 16, from Flatbush and Shakeira Summers, 17, from Fort Greene, who all have been trained to perform various jobs at the Central Brooklyn Medical Group – Brooklyn Heights Center, including filing medical records, scheduling patients’ appointments and working as the switchboard operator. The Summer HEAT initiative kicked off on July 7th and runs until August 22nd. The Borough President’s office is collaborating with youth service providers, which have pre-screened and prepared the teens for their summer jobs. Over the six-week period, employers will pay the young people at least the minimum wage, $5.15 an hour, for up to 30 hours a week.

Among the many businesses and organizations participating in the program include the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Canal Jeans, Citistorage, Independence Community Bank, Lentnek Companies, Marcus Garvey Nursing Home, Montessori Day School, The E.din Gallery, and SUNY Downstate Medical Center. The program is being offered through a partnership between Brooklyn Borough Hall, the Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.