Emanuel's Story
Emanuel McCall told his story at YouthBuild USA's 35th Anniversary celebration in New York City in 2013.
Three years ago Emanuel moved to Schenectady, NY to live with his brother. Upon his arrival, his brother told him that he had a plan for Emanuel and “that plan was YouthBuild.
Together they threw away the drugs and guns that would have continued to drag Emanuel deeper into a life of violence and crime, and the next morning he enrolled in YouthBuild.
Today, this young man is a member of the New York State Juvenile Justice Advisory Group to which he was appointed by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo. He is enrolled in college and works at Schenectady Community College in the dropout prevention program.
I’ve come to realize that because of lack of opportunities, where I come from, I was forced to do unethical things to provide for my family. The reason YouthBuild worked for me is because they catered to that need. What I’m trying to say to you all is that YouthBuild gave me the tools and the skills to make me a better person, for me to provide for my family without hurting myself or my community or my family.
