February 08, 2023
The Bright Side: Keepsake Products Launches Training for Underserved Youth
The supplier has partnered with the Mariano Rivera Foundation to teach high school students the art of printing and packaging.
New Jersey-based Keepsake Products USA (asi/64180) is unpacking its promo industry know-how and sharing it with underserved high school students, thanks to a partnership with the nonprofit Mariano Rivera Foundation.
As part of the foundation’s SAVE 653 mentorship program, Keepsake will host an onsite training classroom and in-depth program to teach the art of printing and packaging.
“We are very excited to have this opportunity with the foundation and its partners to reach out to our local community on behalf of the promotional products industry and help create a change in many of these kids’ lives,” said Andy Griffin, managing partner of Keepsake Products.
He added that he’s proud to provide expertise and equipment to help teens understand the opportunities available in the promo industry.
“Our industry needs more of this,” Griffin said. “It just feels so good to give back and to make a difference, and we cannot wait to get the kids in here and get started.”
The Mariano Rivera Foundation was created by Hall of Fame pitcher Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees, with the aim of creating a reality where children are afforded an opportunity beyond their circumstances and to discover new ways to make a better life for themselves. The organization’s mentorship program is designed to equip high school-age young men, ages 16 to 20, with mentorship, skills and tools needed for success. Teens meet with mentors, go on monthly outings and take part in various interactive courses, according to the foundation’s website.
Luis Villa of the Mariano Rivera Foundation notes that the Keepsake Products’ training experience will be uniquely educational. “Students can walk straight from the classroom, across the hall and into the Keepsake printing facility and see the lessons they are learning happen right in front of them,” he added. “No other facility can provide that type of experience.”
Keepsake’s mentoring program is slated to start in March and will provide a class of 10 students, who will be required to pass a 360-hour class/lab certification process.