Among a packed room, standing-room only, young people expressed how state-funded programs saved their lives, took them off the street and prepared them to enter the work force.

“While we debate about fair wages and job opportunities, we need to understand the domino effect of our struggling economy,” said Senator Mattie Hunter, chair of the Illinois Senate Human Services committee. “Since the Great Recession, we have had to dismantle our safety net, and youth have fallen through the cracks.”

State Representative Eddie Jackson and Alorton’s Mayor Joann Reed joined the panel of elected officials. Mayor Reed not only listened to the young people in her neighboring community but also provided accounts of a struggling Alorton faced with a deep 20 percent unemployment rate.

“The people of Alorton are told to go online to find jobs,” said Mayor Reed. “It is impossible for young people to find jobs when they cannot even access the Internet.”

Moving stories from disadvantaged youth filled the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House in East St. Louis as more people piled into the hearing. A line of concerned parents stretched to the front doors.

“We have failed our young people and our social obligation to the next generation if we sit idly by and ignore this growing problem,” Hunter said.

“You’re right, you have failed my generation,” confirmed a parent in his late 20s, accompanied by his young daughter. “We need to make sure this does not happen to my child.”

His concern represented the growing feeling in the room as more youth testified. Accounts of programs saving youth from life on the street turned into lessons on how to build a strong community.

A young woman said that summer programs taught her how to care for younger children in her community. She was able to show the younger children they were loved, cared for and that they would not face the same obstacles as older generations.

The hearing ended with Percy Dace, Vice Chair of the Illinois African American Family Commission and Board Member of the Illinois Partners for Human Service, tasking elected officials with turning the discussion into action.

The overwhelming message of needing jobs for at-risk youth in high-unemployment communities echoed across the state. Youth who were given a second chance attended the Decatur and Rockford hearings.

Park district representatives drove from Peoria to testify at the Rockford hearing in front of Senators Hunter and Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford).

Touching stories from youth and their parents confirmed the state’s obligation to protect youth employment programming.

“Not every student is interested in sports,” said Ms. Marks, mother of Jaylen Marks, a student who expressed interest in becoming an actor. “I’ve seen my son come out of his shell thanks to creative [state-funded] programs.”

To view pictures from all the hearings click here.