CCLF Profile: Youth Service ProjectFirst, the kids will tell you that the best part about working at Youth Service Project's Universal Music and Art Shop is the music and the camaraderie they share with other team members. Later, they will tell you that they also appreciate the good customer service, computer and communication skills they've learned on the job.
Universal Music and Art Shop is a homegrown music store, run by African-American and Latino youth in West Humboldt Park. This enterprise, which also created two manager-level positions, is designed to give young people retail and customer service experience, as well as the "soft skills" job-readiness training that ultimately makes them employable in the "real world."
Youth Service Project (YSP) needed funds to buy equipment, fixtures and inventory, as well as to cover other working capital costs associated with this nonprofit business start-up. Thanks to CCLF's speedy and flexible financing process, YSP was able to open their store on time. Learn more from Billboard magazine's profile of the Universal Music and Art Shop!