Delivering Opportunity: How UPS Is Investing in the Next Generation of Westside Leaders
On the historic Westside, restoration has always been about more than buildings. It’s about the people who call these neighborhoods home — and especially the young people who will inherit them. This year, Westside Future Fund is proud to welcome a partner who understands that: UPS, a sponsor of our Youth Community Impact Internship program.
A Partnership That Meets the Moment
The intern program has grown from five young people two years ago to twenty-two today — a fourfold increase that reflects both the appetite for opportunity among Westside youth and our deepening commitment to the residents who live here. That kind of growth requires partners willing to invest not just in a summer, but in a future.
UPS stepped forward to be that partner. Their sponsorship helps us keep young people ages 14 to 20 employed, engaged, and learning marketable skills close to home — the heart of our cradle-to-career approach. Working side by side with our team and our community partner Integrity Home Solutions, these interns beautify neighborhoods, prepare resources for families, and help our Volunteer Corps activations run smoothly, all while building the leadership, communication, and professional skills that carry far beyond the Westside.
Behind the Doors of a Global Company
Earlier this month, that partnership came to life in a way our interns won’t soon forget. The group visited UPS headquarters for a tour and a professional development session with Patrick Smith, Regional Community Relations Manager at UPS. Patrick walked them through how one of the world’s most recognizable companies operates and shared candid guidance on building a career.
For young people who spend their summers giving back to their own neighborhoods, it was a chance to see what’s possible on a larger stage — and, just as importantly, to picture themselves there. That is exactly the kind of horizon-expanding experience a thoughtful corporate partner makes possible.
The impact of investments like these is best measured in the young people themselves. This fall, four interns are heading off to college and career. Their journeys capture what this program is designed to do: take a young person from their first cleanup to their first day on campus, stronger and more confident for the experience.
Thank You, UPS
Support like this does far more than fund a summer job. It develops homegrown leaders from within the very neighborhoods they serve, and it sends a clear message to every young person on the Westside: your community believes in you, and so do partners far beyond it.
We are grateful to UPS for opening your doors, sharing your time, and investing in the next generation of Westside leaders. Partnerships like this are how the most lasting transformation of the historic Westside is built.
