The City of Danville’s Project Imagine workforce and community violence intervention ecosystem is strengthened through the leadership and commitment of Marvin Martin, owner of TOTE Boys Bin Store and founder of Shining Diamonds Mentor Agency. His dual role as employer and mentor partner represents a model approach to aligning workforce development with community violence intervention.
Over the past three years, this partnership has provided structured employment and mentoring opportunities to more than 50 youth, creating consistent pathways to workforce readiness, income stability, and pro-social engagement. Through Project Imagine’s 8-week workforce readiness and apprenticeship model, youth worked 20–40 hours per week based on individual need, gaining hands-on experience in retail operations, logistics, inventory management, and customer service.
TOTE Boys Bin Store offered real-world job placements while maintaining flexibility and understanding of the population served. This supportive work environment allowed youth to develop critical workplace behaviors such as accountability, punctuality, teamwork, and performance under supervision.
In parallel, Shining Diamonds Mentor Agency provided mentoring and developmental support, reinforcing positive decision-making, goal setting, and personal responsibility. The integration of employment and mentorship created a stabilizing structure that supported both workforce success and violence prevention outcomes.
Prior to placement, participants completed paid virtual reality (VR) workforce training through Project Imagine, preparing them for industrial and operational environments. This preparation reduced onboarding barriers and increased job readiness upon entry into paid employment.
As a result of consistent employment, mentoring, and structured engagement, participating youth demonstrated increased workforce stability and a reduction in negative police interactions. This partnership illustrates how employer leadership combined with mentorship infrastructure can function as a cornerstone of a city-led workforce and community violence intervention ecosystem.
The City of Danville recognizes Marvin Martin, TOTE Boys Bin Store, and Shining Diamonds Mentor Agency as valued community partners whose sustained investment in youth development directly advances Project Imagine’s mission to strengthen both economic opportunity and community safety.
