RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – There are new developments in a story 8 News broke on August 17. Dozens of teenagers remain unpaid for hours of work with a Richmond nonprofit. We have now learned where the money was supposed to come from and why the kids do not have it.
The city of Richmond had agreed to grant $50,000 dollars to Kinfolks Community, a project that puts at-risk teens to work in Richmond.
A second-party agency, Groundwork RVA, was set to match the grant, acting as a financial agent for Kinfoks, which is not a 501(c)(3) organization. Groundwork RVA said it backed out over a disagreement about the terms outlined in the city’s contract.
The standstill put Kinfolks Community in the red, leaving more than 25 teenagers without pay for their work.
Since summer began, 13-year-old Shiann Jones helped plant community gardens in Mosby Court through Kinfolks community. She was told she’d be paid 150 dollars bi-weekly, but never received the money. Jones said she is owned approximately $520, along with more than 25 other teenagers who logged similar hours.
Her mother, Y’asia Jones, called 8 News on August 17 to complain. When our team looked into the matter, Kinfolks founder Art Burton explained that the fiscal agent had not signed the contract from the city.
Burton told 8 News he would pay the teens by week’s end. Days later, Jones said only a sliver of the cash surfaced.
“He gave some kids some money but I want all my money,” said Jones. “I need it for school stuff.”
Burton said media coverage of the payroll shortfall has damaged his facility and caused partners to pull out.
John Lewis has worked closely with Kinfolks through his organization, Renew Richmond. He said he did not believe it was Burton’s intention to keep the teens from getting paid.
“It isn’t necessarily Kinfolk’s fault. If they had the money they would allocate it,” said Lewis. “It’s a matter of patience. We’re waiting for the fiscal agent to sign and the granter
to give the money.”
Parents see the error as an issue of right and wrong. “Don’t say one thing and then do another,” said Y’Asia Jones. “Don’t promise the kids money. If it wasn’t there, you never should’ve worked them.”
8 News reached out to the city’s finance department, the would-be granter, for comment, but did not get a response before the publication of this article.
