—————————————————— Jon Bon Jovi, Mayor Parker SEARCH For Youth Answers | Houston Press

Concerts

Jon Bon Jovi, Mayor Parker SEARCH For Youth Answers

Jon Bon Jovi has a concert at Toyota Center Tuesday, but he came to Houston a day early to do some voluntary community-service work for the President. It was not the type of community service that required shirtless physical labor - unfortunately - but more along the lines of clothed community conversations.

President Obama asked the New Jersey rocker to participate in The White House Council for Community Solutions in December of 2010 and since then, he has visited New Orleans, Atlanta, and now Houston. The council is focused on education, youth development and employment on local levels.

Bon Jovi, along with 24 other members, visits neighborhood organizations in order to examine the ways that communities implement change through their youth. The council has been instructed to gather up information from their discussions in each community and meet back in Washington, D.C., to evaluate the information.

"I was the only person from the entertainment business that the President asked to take part in this Council for Community Solutions. The President's directive was simple: Show me organizations that are working and bring back results," Bon Jovi said. "They're very aware that this demographic is going to be in need of jobs and education."

Bon Jovi and Mayor Annise Parker held the youth round table meeting at SEARCH Homeless Services in Midtown. The two sat down with the young adults that SEARCH serves, as well as kids from Goodwill Houston, Community in Schools and Gulf Coast Trades Center.