Teaming Up to Give Hope

WHERE DID ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES GO?

Across the US, department stores are shrinking or shuttering altogether. In 2011, US department stores employed 1.2 million employees across 8,600 stores, according to estimates from the research firm IBISWorld. But in 2020, there were fewer than 700,000 employees in the sector, working across just over 6,000 locations. That isn't the worst news, especially when you realize that more than half of all mall-based department stores will close by the end of 2021, according to estimates by Green Street Advisors, a commercial property research firm. The shuttering of retail powerhouses like shopping malls also cemented the demise of the cashier. Industry experts believe two-thirds of the three million cashier positions in the US will be replaced by technology. In the blink of an eye, jobs that were readily available are becoming quickly obsolete.

The bad news? More jobs are quickly phasing out. Take a look at the following jobs that will soon fade quietly away (and what they are replaced, or will be replaced, with):

Those are just some of the jobs that you will not be able to apply for in the near future. Regardless, we need those opportunities, because those jobs gave a fair chance at employment for the uneducated and permitted them to become contributing members of their community. To give you an idea of how urgent this situation is, the unemployment rate in the United States averaged 5.75% from 1948 until 2022, reaching an all-time high of 14.70% in April 2020.

So, how do we fix this problem? How do we get more people working again, and filling positions that promise upward mobility and a liveable wage? Is the answer to create more jobs so that everyone can work?

NO! Our team determined more jobs are not the answer. The solution is to offer alternative routes for an equitable access to employment opportunities.

Our team at the H.J.V.H Project crafted an opportunity to provide hope to the undereducated and the unemployed, realizing that we can positively alter the trajectory of their lives if we show them how to Hang Onto Positive Expectations.

The Helping Juveniles Visualize Hope (H.J.V.H) Project provides an accelerated, alternative route for the undereducated and underemployed to get back into the workforce and become contributing members of society. We are a 501(c)(3) committed to educating and empowering promising underserved youth (juveniles) to become lifelong learners and responsible citizens prepared to meet the challenges of the future.

How do we accomplish this and what makes our project unique? Through the implementation of project-based learning, our goal is to create relevant learning opportunities — both inside and outside the academic learning environment — that help them develop the knowledge, critical thinking skills, and character necessary to succeed in a technologically advanced world. We remove the monotony of the regular classroom environment and implement a curriculum that incorporates project-based learning -- which scholars find more engaging, and brings the process of learning to life.

To learn more about what we do, visit our website: https://www.thehjvhproject.com/.

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

By supporting this project, you are not only investing in our team but pouring back into your community as well. Your support means we get more people back to work, in careers that they are built to perform and, most importantly, they enjoy performing. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU GIVE, all donations are tax-deductible and greatly appreciated.

Consider paying it forward by supporting our project, because when we take our blessings and use them to bless others, everyone wins!