NAACP-backed Wake Up Wednesdays asks caucus for $300 to continue weekly youth outreach

Maurice Williams, a Wake Up Wednesdays presenter, told the Black and Hispanic Caucus on Sept. 10 that the weekly outreach program meets outside the McDonald’s at 250 Welly Avenue from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and connects youth to jobs and social services.

The program, Williams said, is "an initiative by the million jobs campaign" and involves partner groups such as Job Corps, the Community Action Agency, Yale University medical staff, the Masons and the city’s Office of Violence Prevention. Williams said volunteers distributed about 175 hot dogs during the most recent event and that the food helped bring young people into conversations about jobs and services.

The request presented to the caucus was for a $300 donation to continue purchasing food for participants. Caucus members said they would be "in touch" and would cast a vote on the request at a later time; no vote or formal action on the donation was recorded during the meeting.

Why this matters: Presenters described Wake Up Wednesdays as a harm-reduction and outreach effort aimed at reducing violence and connecting people — particularly teenage males — to job training and mental-health referrals. Taretha Green, who identified herself as co‑chair of Wake Up Wednesdays and First Vice President and Criminal Justice Chair of the Greater New Haven NAACP, said clinicians on site have been able to make mental-health referrals and provide brief conversations that some participants prefer to formal therapy.

Program details and partners
Williams said Wake Up Wednesdays runs every Wednesday and that partner organizations set up informational tables and tents. He said Job Corps brought about nine to 10 youth to a recent event and that the city’s Office of Violence Prevention and HavenWorks have participated.

Green described clinical outreach at the events: "A lot of people were saying that they go to therapy, they don't like it. So we've actually had a couple of people that will come in and just stop just to have a conversation," she said, adding that in some cases clinicians were able to refer attendees to ongoing mental-health services.

Participants and setting
Presenters and caucus members said most of the high-school–age participants arrive after school, roughly between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., and that many are 14 to 17 years old. Speakers said the McDonald’s location had experienced fights and crowding; Williams said the restaurant had shut its indoor seating at times and that the police have begun attending weekly since the outreach began.

Winter plan and operational notes
Presenters said the program has continued through varied weather and that organizers plan to rent an RV to provide a sheltered outreach point during colder months. They also said organizations or agencies that want a table can call the number on the program flyer; presenters noted that Wake Up Wednesdays does not supply tables and that groups should bring tents or chairs if possible.

Next steps
Caucus members asked logistical questions and raised support. The caucus did not record a vote; staff said they would "be in touch with you regarding your donation request" and that the caucus would cast a vote at a later date.

Speakers quoted in this story are drawn from caucus meeting remarks and include Maurice Williams (Wake Up Wednesdays presenter) and Taretha Green (co‑chair, Wake Up Wednesdays; First Vice President and Criminal Justice Chair, Greater New Haven NAACP).