Meet One Of Our Star At-Risk Participants In Our Hire Up Program: Daniel

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At Avenues for Justice (AFJ), we provide services to both our Court-involved and At-Risk Participants by providing individualized support through out HIRE Up program to address their unique needs. For those in our At-Risk population—young people who face potential involvement with law enforcement and/or the criminal justice system—we offer services such as tutoring and academic support, workforce development training, and mental health wellness care at our two community centers. We also connect them with third-party specialists for short-term assistance and referrals as needed. This week, we proudly spotlight Daniel, one of AFJ’s outstanding Participants from our At-Risk population.

Daniel grew up just a few blocks from AFJ’s flagship Lower East Side community center on “Avenues for Justice Way”. Growing up in the foster care system, Daniel lived with several caretakers who became surrogate aunts and grandmothers to him. To keep him out of harm's way, they were very strict with his schedule, imposing early curfews in the hopes that the more time Daniel spent at home the less likelihood of him getting in trouble.

Without consistent parental guidance, Daniel missed many of the important conversations his peers were having with their parents about their aspirations, hobbies, friendships, and the overall challenges of being a teenager growing up in the Lower East Side. This all changed when, at the age of 20, Daniel walked through AFJ’s doors in November 2023. Daniel immediately connected with AFJ’s Senior Court Advocate, Nelson Valentine.

Nelson’s story mirrored Daniel’s in many ways—both were raised on the Lower East Side, navigating the challenges of the foster care system. Nelson was also an at-risk participant at Avenues for Justice in its early years, during the pivotal time when co-founders Robert Siegal and AFJ President Angel Rodriguez first opened the LES community center. When he met Daniel, Nelson saw a reflection of his younger self. In the months that followed, Daniel’s journey at AFJ was shaped by transformative workshops and one-on-one mentoring sessions with Nelson, guiding him toward new possibilities and self-discovery.

“I grew up without a mom and dad in the foster care system. Nelson was like a parent to me. He helped me understand what it means to overcome obstacles since he experienced many of the same situations. Nelson taught me about honesty, integrity, and standing up for your beliefs. All of which helped me mature.” ~Daniel

Daniel conveyed his interest in making music in conversations with Nelson. To help him gain work experience, Nelson referred Daniel to AFJ’s Job Developer Shantel Brooks. Recognizing Daniel’s passion, Shantel secured a 16-week, paid internship at Crown Hill Theater for Daniel. During his 200-hour internship, Daniel gained invaluable hands-on experience working at a music venue, educational facility, co-working space, technology incubator, and digital music and video production hub.  

“Daniel is talented, motivated, and on top of things. He’s a people person and has a great personality. He stays focused because he knows what’s going on in his neighborhood and doesn't want to go down the criminal justice route.” ~AFJ Job Developer, Shantel Brooks

At Crown Hill Theater, Daniel was able to learn critical soft skills, such as timeliness, budgeting, and working with his peers. With professional instructors who cared deeply about their profession, and passing along their knowledge, Daniel and his fellow interns had a specific educational experience each week. They learned the ins and outs of business in the film and music industry, the process of setting up and breaking down documentary film shoots, and - most importantly for Daniel - the roots of music and professional music production.

Last year, Daniel secured his security license and started a new part-time job. He has found, with Nelson’s help, that the recipe for success is staying busy and surrounding yourself with the right people. He is excited for the next chapter of his life whether it be as a security guard or audio engineer.

“Shantel has been amazing. She helped me get my security license and I told her about my music interests, and she got me an internship at Crown Hill Theater for audio engineering and filmmaking. Working with Shantel has felt like magic, whatever I was interested in, she found it.” ~Daniel

Daniel is excited for the next chapter of his life sharing with us that this experience is one that he will never forget and use as motivation to quiet his self-doubt. Whether it be a security guard, audio engineer, or whatever opportunity comes next, he feels grateful to AFJ for helping to support his goals.  

“There are a lot of great minds at AFJ. There is positive change happening at AFJ within the Participants, there is a change in me. I don’t get beat down by life like I used to because of Shantel and Nelson. They help me see the world differently, certain questions about my life were solved behind those doors.” ~Daniel

If you are a local business interested in partnering with Avenues for Justice Participants in our next internship cohort, please email AFJ’s Job Developer, Shantel Brooks, at sbrooks@avenuesforjustice.org.