Climb CDC hosts statewide youth build coalition

The Climb Community Development Corporation took the lead today by hosting a state coalition of youth build programs in D’Iberville.

Five charter organizations in the coalition, Climb CDC in Gulfport, Mace Youth Build Greenville Mississippi, West Jackson Community Development Corporation in Jackson, Gateway Youth Build in Yazoo City, and Mississippi Delta Council for Farm Worker Opportunities, Inc in Clarksdale all came together to discuss ways to provide better opportunities for young people in the state of Mississippi with a focus on workforce development and education.

Climb CDC CEO Jake Cook said, “We have some issues with gun violence with young people right now. If Gulfport is the only one that’s actually focusing on it and it’s not being focused on in Jackson it may not move as fast as we are trying to get solutions statewide to make things better for our young people. The young people we work with are ages 16 to 24, your opportunity youth, so we figure if we can work together as a coalition everyone is working on the same topics statewide, we can get a lot of progress done a lot quicker.”

Local guest speakers included Fred Howell from Ingalls Shipbuilding, Allytra Perryman from East Biloxi Community Collaborative, D’Iberville City Manager Clay Jones, and Community Leader Jeffrey Hulum III.