Labor Day Weekends are for bonding and BBQ! And, for the men of Just in Time’s Bridges to Success Service, starting new traditions. The first ever “Men of JIT BBQ” came together Saturday, September 3rd at Just in Time board member John Armantrout’s house where, despite the 100 degree weather, JIT participants gathered for tacos, good conversation and cornhole.

“The corn hole scoring was getting a bit confusing at first,” said Omar, a JIT staff member who attended the event, “For several of the guys it was their first-time playing corn hole seriously. I was struck by one youth, Danny, who traveled all the way down from Fullerton to attend the BBQ. This just shows how much we need these kind of events.”

Bridges to Success has a strong focus on helping young men within the JIT community build relationships with peers and volunteer coaches. These relationships are critical to the mental wellbeing of our participants. Nationally, studies have shown that friendships among American men are declining, with the percentage of men who have at least 6 close friends falling by half in the last two decades. A recent article by VOX called it a “friend recession,” linking it to dire health impacts that increase likelihood of suicide Alzheimer’s, high blood pressure and cancer. For former foster youth, who often struggle to form and maintain meaningful relationships due to impermanent placements in foster care, this issue is exacerbated.