He’s starting to roll in some dough

Lolita Harper

Big wheels keep on turning and a Costa Mesa youth organization

keeps on burning, as the Electric Riverboat Angela Louise is rollin’

down Newport Harbor.

OK, there is not an actual wheel on the electric charter vessel,

but that doesn’t make riverboat Capt. Joseph Warner any less proud to

support Youth Employment Services with a portion of his profits.

Warner has committed 2% of his charter costs of the Electric

Riverboat Angela Louise -- which hosts about 150 special occasions

per year -- to Youth Employment Services in Costa Mesa.

Youth Employment Services, which works to find jobs for young

people in the community, provides an invaluable service to the

community as it helps students develop business skills and learn

responsibility, Warner said. Being a father of two -- although they

are already grown and on their own -- the organization struck a chord

with the riverboat captain.

“There are so many benefits associated with this organization, it

is ridiculous,” Warner said.

To show his support, Warner encourages his customers to donate an

additional 2% of their costs to Youth Employment Services and, if

they choose not to, he does. Most of his customers have been happy to

chip in. He has yet to see the true effects of the program because he

just launched it July 1.

“Hopefully, when this thing gets going, it will generate something

like $7,000 to $8,000 or $9,000 in a year,” Warner said.

With the funding challenges that many nonprofit organizations are

facing, Warner said he is more than happy to provide funding from the

private sector and thinks other proprietors should follow his lead.

Youth Employment Services not only teaches young people how to get

ahead in the working world, it provides the business community with

well-trained, polished professionals, he said.

“I think it’s incumbent on more business owners to support this

organization,” Warner said.