"The purpose is to empower our young people," said Nina Davis, founder and owner of Gerdy's Gourmet Popcorn." The youth in our community are the future."
"Gerdy's" isn't named after a person: it's an acronym for "Growth, empowerment, resilient, developing, youth, success." Davis launched Gerdy's after a stint working at another popcorn shop where she also hired young people.
"We decided to create our own business and still wanted to create that space," said Davis. "So I started creating all of these different ingredients from home."
Eshantee Epps is a mentee of Davis and an early employee at Gerdy's. Through tears, Epps explained the purpose and meaning she's gained from working in the popcorn shop.
"I've been in some very big rooms because of my godmother," said Epps. "I met people I never thought I'd meet. Working with her really gave me the opportunity to get out of the house and it also helped me with my mental health."
Davis says young people who've worked at Gerdy's have gone on to do military service, enroll in college, and develop their skills at other places of work. She said she wants to continue to hire teens at the shop and pour into them what she's learned about business, character, and life.
"They are the cornerstone of what we do," said Davis. "Without them, this business would not be here."
For more information about Gerdy's Gourmet Popcorn, visit their website gerdyspopcorn.com