Nonprofit program offers job experience, skill building for at-risk youth

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - Learning to make jam may not sound like much, but for some of Oklahoma’s underserved youth, it can be the recipe to success.

A local nonprofit in northeast Oklahoma City have a growing program to help the at-risk youth living on their campus reach that success.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Wednesday at Pivot, a nonprofit that helps kids aging out of foster care, in the criminal justice system or experiencing homelessness.

"We want to be sure that young people that we serve now is that we see them, we see their story, we see their experience,” President and CEO of Pivot Jennifer Goodrich said

In October of 2023, they founded their program called "Pivot Preserves". For six months, at-risk people that live on their campus can be employed with the program and their first goal is to learn how to make jam.

"They learn how to make jam, they learn all the aspects of business-like sales, marketing, all of that sort of thing,” Goodrich said. "But at the same time, we're also doing it in a manner that is respectful of the experiences they've had and sometimes the experiences that they haven't."

Wednesday’s milestone achievement and ribbon cutting ceremony was for a brand new kitchen. It’s equipped with all new stoves and appliances. Originally, Pivot was awarded with the United Ways Wayfinder Innovation grant to get the program started.

"Not only did that money get something started, it got additional funding to elevate the project faster,” the President and CEO of United Way of Central Oklahoma Rachel Holt said.

With the new kitchen, they expect to hire 10 employees, which is up from their current five as the program takes off to new heights.

"We know that this will make a difference in our community,” Holt said.

"It happened in 18 months,” Goodrich said. “So, it means that we can employ more young people more quickly so they can get that experience."

Goodrich said that the people on campus can apply as they would for any job. For more information on their program and the jam products that they sell, visit pivotpreserves.org or pivotok.org.