Teenagers say they don’t have anything to do. Philly Bridge & Jawn taught them how to cook for one another

As Bryan Belknap spread the word that his new Kensington nonprofit, Philly Bridge & Jawn (PB&J), was holding a one-week pilot program in November, he wasn’t sure how many teenagers would actually show up.

He reached out to teenagers he’d met through his work leading the LEAP program at the McPherson Square Library, and handed out fliers to kids coming on and off the El and people hanging out on corners in the neighborhood. Belknap told them that PB&J would bring teenagers ages 12 to 19 together and teach them to cook meals for one another. They’d be paid $20 every day that they showed up, and after each meal, a local nonprofit or service provider would visit and introduce themselves to the teens.

PB&J strives to give teenagers a productive, consistent, and safe environment, while also addressing local food insecurity.

“The enthusiasm for the program really just sort of blew me away.”

Belknap originally hoped that 20 participants would make their way to PB&J’s temporary home at the Impact Services Corp. building over the first week of November. Instead, 31 teenagers showed up the first day.

Belknap had to turn some away because they just didn’t have the space.

“What I thought would happen though, is if teens came and weren’t able to get into the program, they wouldn’t come back,” he said. “And that’s just not what happened at all.”

Interest grew, and those who entered the PB&J kitchen wanted more.

The pilot program engaged nearly 50 teens throughout the week. It began on a Wednesday, and by the last day on Sunday, teenagers were lining up three hours before PB&J opened at 4 p.m.

“The enthusiasm for the program really just sort of blew me away,” Belknap said. “I really have never been a part of anything like that.”

» READ MORE: This nonprofit is paying Kensington teens to cook for one another

PB&J is funded primarily by a $10,000 grant from the Kensington Community Resilience Fund, and partners with New Kensington Community Development Corp.’s Nourish program to provide food and cooking instruction. Belknap aims for PB&J to eventually become a permanent, year-round program that meets five days a week.

Lamar Dancy, 17, has known Belknap for years after working together at the McPherson Library. When Belknap told Dancy about the new program, Dancy figured that it sounded like a good idea.

“I don’t really know how to cook,” he said, usually sticking to noodles when he makes food for himself (though he did recently learn how to fry chicken). “You get paid to cook. ... Who wouldn’t do it?”

“You get paid to cook ... Who wouldn’t do it?”

Dancy went to PB&J with a friend and his little brother, but still felt a little nervous with all of the new faces. The first night, they made tacos and nachos, and he started to feel more comfortable with the people he was working with. It helped that the food they made had some teens going for seconds and asking for leftovers to take home, too.

“It was very good,” he said of the food they made, which over the course of the week included dishes like quesadillas, stir-fry, and chicken sandwiches.

Qumara Robinson, 18, was surprised at her favorite food from the week: fried cauliflower with buffalo sauce. “I thought it was going to be nasty, but it was actually really good,” she said.

Belknap handed Robinson a flier for PB&J when she was on her way to school one day. The daily stipend seemed like a nice perk, but she was more interested in the chance to do something different.

“I like trying new things,” she said. At first, it was challenging working with so many others in a tight space, especially with other attendees as young as 12. But once she settled in, Robinson made a few new friends. And after meeting representatives from the Yay Clay art studio after cooking one night, she expects to visit sometime.

Robinson said that teenagers usually don’t have very many options for things to do or places to go after school, outside of sports and clubs, making programs like PB&J, Yay Clay, or anything else free and youth-focused feel especially exciting.

“I usually just do schoolwork and go to sleep,” she said, but she expects to be back for PB&J’s next programming.

Dancy feels the same way. He has his job at the library to keep busy after school, but notices that because there isn’t much else to do, his friends and his brother are often either sitting around bored, or doing destructive things to entertain themselves.

“I like trying new things.”

“I know friends that they don’t really do nothing,” he said, noting that he was impressed after the group’s visit to Ride Free, a community organization which offers, among many things, a free music studio for youth.

“That why I told Mr. Bryan that this is a very good idea. Teens need something to entertain them. There’s nothing to entertain teens now, except for their phone. ... It’s just school, and then once you go home, it’s just nothing for you to do.”

PB&J plans to return for another week of programming April 10 to 14. They will move to a larger, outdoor space at Cantina La Martina restaurant on D Street so that more teenagers can participate. Belknap hopes to secure a permanent location for the program soon, and wants to have everyday programming by next fall with 35 teenagers per day.

Until then, Dancy will be patiently waiting for PB&J’s return in the spring.

“I haven’t really been bothering Mr. Bryan about it, but we’ve just been waiting,” Dancy said. “Once he said it was [happening] in April, we were just like, ‘oh my, that’s a little long.’”