ROC Youth Community Engagement

07/27/2026

ROC, here’s a community event to put on your calendar. 💚

SWAN is hosting its Annual Community Picnic on Saturday, August 8, 2026, and families are invited to come out, eat, connect, enjoy music, and spend time with the community.

This is a free community cook-out, so bring the family and come enjoy a positive summer afternoon in the neighborhood.

Event details:

📍 Location:
10 Cady Street
Rochester, NY 14608

Behind the building in the parking lot on Dr. Samuel McCree Way.

🗓️ Date: Saturday, August 8, 2026
⏰ Time: Noon – 3:00 PM
💰 Cost: Free community cook-out

What to expect:

• Nate Rawls Community Band
• Live DJ
• Music
• Vendors
• Voter registration
• Family-friendly community time

Events like this matter because community is not just built in meetings or during hard times. It is also built when families can gather, eat, laugh, hear music, meet neighbors, learn about resources, and feel connected to the place they call home.

Come for the fun. Stay for the community.

For more information, contact Patricia Jackson at 585-436-3090.

Send this to a family that would enjoy a free community cook-out this summer.

— Alicia 💚

07/27/2026

Tap in, twin — Rush-Henrietta Central School District is hosting a job fair. 💚

This is a good opportunity for anyone looking for hourly, part-time, school-based, or district support positions in the Rochester/Henrietta area.

They will be holding on-the-spot interviews, but you do need to register in advance because time slots are limited.

Job Fair Details:

📍 Location: Roth Junior High School
4000 East Henrietta Rd.
Henrietta, NY

🗓️ Date: Thursday, July 30
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Available positions include:

• Bus Driver
• Bus Monitor
• Cafeteria Monitor, part-time
• Cleaner, 2nd shift
• Clerk/Secretary
• Day Care Aide
• Food Service Employee
• Registered Nurse, RN
• Security Worker
• Teacher Aide
• Teaching Assistant
• Youth Assistant

Rush-Henrietta is promoting a caring school climate, community diversity, strong professional development, and a commitment to academic excellence.

This could be a strong fit for someone who wants to work in a school setting, support students, build experience, or get connected to steady work within a district.

Register here:
www.rhnet.org/jobfair

More info:
📞 585-359-5046
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.rhnet.org/jobs

Do not wait until the last minute. Register early so you can secure an interview slot.

Send this to somebody who has been looking for school-based work.

— Liam 💚

Thank you for your interest in our upcoming Job Fair: Thursday, July 30, 2026 from 9:00am-4:00pm at Roth Junior High School. Due to limited availability for walk-in appointments, please use the form below to sign up for the Job Fair. Candidates will be emailed key information prior to July 30. In ad...

07/21/2026

Tuesday progress update. 💚

Not every part of this work can be posted, and honestly, not every part should be. Some families deserve privacy. Some youth situations are sensitive. Some conversations are too personal to turn into content.

But we do believe in tracking the work, because community impact should not just be talked about. It should be measured.

Today’s working numbers:

• 11 youth and family touchpoints
• 14 parent or caregiver follow-ups
• 6 school, court, or systems-navigation concerns reviewed
• 7 job leads or workforce opportunities reviewed for sharing
• 2 youth opportunities or summer resources identified
• 12 community partner, provider, or local contact check-ins
• 124 calls, texts, messages, or follow-up attempts connected to support
• 4 urgent youth or family concerns monitored behind the scenes

That may not look flashy, but this is what the work looks like on a regular Tuesday.

It is phone calls.
It is follow-ups.
It is messages.
It is checking details before sharing opportunities.
It is making sure families are not left trying to figure everything out alone.
It is connecting people to jobs, programs, school support, court support, youth resources, and community contacts.
It is listening when somebody says, “I do not know what to do next.”

A lot of community work happens quietly. No cameras. No applause. No big announcement. Just people trying to make sure someone gets the information, support, or direction they need before things get worse.

We are tired, but the need is still real.

So we keep showing up.
We keep tracking.
We keep sharing.
We keep following up.
We keep building.

One family at a time.
One youth at a time.
One resource at a time.
One Tuesday at a time.

— Cameron Gómez-Perry 💚

07/18/2026

June and July have been heavy, busy, emotional, and meaningful for ROC Youth Community Engagement. 💚

A lot has been happening behind the scenes, and not all of it can be posted. Some wins are private. Some families deserve protection. Some youth stories are not content. Some moments are too sensitive to be made public.

But we do want to take a moment to acknowledge the movement.

Over the last two months, our team has continued showing up in the places where support is needed most: courtrooms, school conversations, family meetings, resource searches, crisis moments, community discussions, youth check-ins, and late-night situations that remind us why this work matters.

We have continued sharing job leads, youth opportunities, local programs, community resources, and support options because access matters. A flyer, a link, a number, a referral, or a shared post can be the reason somebody takes the next step.

We have continued building our public voice, too. Not just posting to post, but speaking with purpose. Talking about youth safety. Talking about violence. Talking about parenting. Talking about accountability. Talking about mental health. Talking about community responsibility. Talking about the fact that our young people need more than speeches after something goes wrong.

June reminded us of the importance of reflection, culture, pride, freedom, and community care.

July has reminded us how urgent this work really is.

The violence across our region has been draining. The conversations have been hard. The calls have been heavy. The work has felt dangerous at times. But even in that, we are still here. Still showing up. Still sharing resources. Still pushing for better. Still reminding families that help exists before things reach a breaking point.

We are not perfect. We are growing. We are learning. We are adjusting. We are building as we go.

But the mission has not changed.

Youth are not the problem. They are part of the solution.

Families deserve support before a crisis.
Communities deserve safety and care.
Young people deserve guidance, structure, opportunity, and people who refuse to give up on them.
Parents deserve resources, but they also have to be present and accountable.
Systems deserve to be challenged when they are not moving fast enough.

To everyone who has shared a post, sent a resource, checked on us, referred a family, trusted us with a concern, or supported the work in any way — thank you.

To the families still trying to figure things out — keep reaching.
To the youth who feel like nobody sees you — we do.
To the community — do not stop caring.
To the leaders — do not confuse statistics with safety.
To the parents — stay active, ask for help, and stay close to your children.

June and July have shown us a lot.

The work is real.
The need is real.
The pressure is real.
But so is the commitment.

We are still here.
We are still building.
We are still listening.
We are still pushing.
We are still not gatekeeping resources, opportunities, or support.

Tap in, twin. The work continues.

— Cameron Gómez-Perry 💚

07/09/2026

Let's be blunt about it since everyone else is bullsh*tting.

2:00 AM and I’m still thinking about it. Because yet again we are right back where we keep finding ourselves.

The violence. The kids. The guns. The hospitals. The parents. The families. The emergency rooms. The calls. The videos. The crowds. The fear. The way people are slowly getting used to things we should never be comfortable with.

Rochester and Buffalo are hurting, and I’m tired of hearing people talk around it.

When hundreds of young people are gathering, fighting, carrying weapons, shooting, threatening people, and turning public spaces into danger zones, that is not normal. That is not “kids being kids.” That is not just summer. That is a crisis.

And I’m going to say this again because some people need to hear it plainly: parents, get your kids.

Know where they are. Know who they are with. Know what they are carrying. Know what they are posting. Know what they are involved in before somebody else has to call you from a hospital, a police station, or worse.

And leaders, stop hiding behind numbers. A decrease in stats does not mean people feel safe. A press conference does not stop bullets. A ribbon-cutting does not calm a crowd. A statement followed by no true actions does not bring peace to a family sitting in an emergency room or spending the rest of their lives grieving.

This work is getting dangerous. Community workers, hospital staff, outreach teams, police, EMS/Fire, nurses, security, and families are being forced to respond to situations that should have been prevented long before they exploded.

I still believe in our young people. I still believe they are worth saving. I still believe in second chances, healing, guidance, and support. But believing in youth does not mean pretending their actions are not hurting people.

The child carrying the gun matters. The person being shot at matters too. The young person in crisis matters. The innocent family trying to enjoy their city matters too. The parent begging for help matters. The nurse cleaning up the aftermath matters too.

All of it matters.

We need stronger laws. We need parents held accountable when kids are repeatedly out here causing harm. We need illegal guns treated like the emergency they are. We need real youth spaces, real intervention, real consequences, and real community presence.

Crime may always exist, but chaos does not have to become our culture.

Rochester, Buffalo, Western New York — we need to wake up.

Not after the next shooting.
Not after the next child is hit.
Not after the next family is destroyed.

Now.

Parents, get active with your kids. Leaders, get serious and stop fu***ng around. Community, get present. Young people, your life is worth more than a gun, a beef, a crowd, a post, or one reckless night.

I’m tired. A lot of us are tired.

But we are still here because we give a damn. We have too.

— Jay Jay

07/09/2026

Tap in, twin — youth opportunity alert. 💚

Roc Royal Inc is accepting 5 youth for their Summer Internship Program 2026, and this is exactly the kind of opportunity we love to see for our young people.

This program is for youth ages 13–14 and gives them a chance to stay active, learn, build confidence, earn some money, and be around positive adults this summer.

Quick details:

📍 Location: School 16
321 Post Ave.
Rochester, NY 14619

🗓️ Dates: July 13 – August 14
⏰ Schedule: Monday through Thursday
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Doors open at 9:30 AM

👥 Who: Youth ages 13–14
💰 Stipend: $500 for the summer
Participants must complete the full program to receive the stipend.

What youth can expect:

• Hands-on projects
• Guest speakers
• Team challenges
• Creative expression
• Leadership development
• Real-world experience
• A chance to learn, lead, create, and grow

This is a strong summer option for families looking for something meaningful, structured, and positive for their youth.

Please apply using the QR code on the flyer. Do not wait around on this one because only 5 youth are being accepted.

Let’s keep our young people busy, supported, and connected to opportunities that help them grow.

— Cam. G💚

07/04/2026

Happy Fourth of July, ROC. 🇺🇸💚

Today, many families will be outside, cooking, gathering, traveling, watching fireworks, and enjoying time together.

Please celebrate safely.

Watch the kids closely.
Be mindful with fireworks.
Check on older adults, veterans, babies, pets, and anyone who may be sensitive to loud sounds.
Do not drink and drive.
Do not let one careless decision change a whole family’s life.

Freedom also means responsibility. It means looking out for one another. It means making sure our celebrations do not put our neighbors, our youth, or our community at risk.

Enjoy the day. Stay safe. Stay aware. Take care of each other.

— Alicia

07/02/2026

ROC, quick question. 💚

What is one resource, program, job lead, community event, food spot, youth activity, school support, housing contact, or local opportunity that more people need to know about?

Drop it in the comments.

Somebody may need exactly what you have sitting in your phone right now.

A link.
A name.
A flyer.
A program.
A contact.
A place that helped you.
A place that helped your child.
A place that gave you a chance.

We are not gatekeeping resources over here.

Tap in, twin. Somebody might be one comment away from the help they have been trying to find.

— Cam G. 💚

07/02/2026

Today we recognize National Wildland Firefighter Day. 🔥

Wildland firefighters do dangerous, exhausting, and deeply necessary work. They protect lives, homes, land, wildlife, communities, and entire regions during some of the most unpredictable emergency situations.

Their work requires courage, training, endurance, teamwork, and sacrifice.

As we continue through the summer months, we also want to remind everyone to be mindful of fire safety, outdoor burning, fireworks, dry conditions, and the choices we make when gathering outside.

To the wildland firefighters and all fire service professionals who step forward when others have to step back: thank you.

Your work matters.

— Cam G.