Let’s Make a Deal Youth Mentoring Program

Overview

The Let’s Make a Deal Youth Mentoring Program is an innovative initiative under the SJ Wilkes Network of Impact Projects, where everyday community sales become hands-on learning experiences for young people. What began in Sharonda Johnson-Wilkes’ garage has grown into a mentorship model that teaches youth the real-world skills of entrepreneurship, teamwork, and financial literacy—all while raising funds that fuel programs for people with disabilities and accessible housing.

Through this program, participants gain more than job experience—they gain confidence, purpose, and ownership of their future.

Become a Member

🎯 Program Goals

Empower Youth Entrepreneurs: Teach the fundamentals of selling, pricing, marketing, and customer service.
Promote Financial Literacy: Help participants learn budgeting, profit tracking, and responsible money management.
Build Confidence Through Service: Encourage youth to give back by supporting community projects that make a difference, and

Model Inclusion and Accessibility: Create a learning space where every young person—of all abilities—can thrive and contribute.

💼 How It Works

Participants are paired with mentors from the SJ Wilkes Foundation and local business leaders. Together, they transform donated goods and garage-sale items into mini-business ventures that support Foundation projects.
Each sale day is a classroom—complete with leadership lessons, teamwork, and accountability.

Youth Roles Include:

Setting up and staging sale items
Managing the checkout process
Tracking inventory and sales
Greeting customers and explaining the mission, and
Learning how community dollars create measurable impact.

💵 Stipends & Support

To make participation accessible to all, each youth receives a small stipend to cover transportation, meals, or daily support needs. These stipends are funded through the sales themselves, teaching the principle of earning through effort and community reinvestment.

🧠 Learning Focus

Each week, mentors lead a short “Skill of the Day” session covering topics like:

Entrepreneurship & Branding
Communication & Customer Service
Teamwork & Leadership
Social Media Marketing, and
Budgeting & Smart Spending

At the end of each program cycle, youth receive a Certificate of Completion celebrating their new skills and service hours.

🌍 The Bigger Picture

The “Let’s Make a Deal” program is more than a garage sale—it’s a movement toward empowerment. Every transaction supports SJ Wilkes Foundation projects like accessible housing, caregiver assistance, mobility-aid drives, and entrepreneurship training for people with disabilities.

Youth walk away understanding that business is not just about making money—it’s about making a difference.

✉️ Get Involved

Whether you’re a young person looking to learn, a parent seeking positive engagement, or a business owner who wants to mentor or sponsor, there’s a place for you in this program.

📧 Contact: admin@sjwilkesfoundation.org
📞 Call/Text: 240-889-8889
📍 Location: Waldorf, MD (Private Location)