Hi, I'm Freya, and this summer, I'm a marketing and communications intern at KHCC! KHCC is filled with so many hardworking, smiling faces, and I wanted to showcase a few of them in honor of the 45th Anniversary.
Below, I have interviewed and photographed Lauren McKeiver, the Administrative Assistant and Receptionist at Changing Futures, and Giovanni McKeiver, a Lead Teacher in one of our 4-year-olds classrooms, for the "IMPACT STORIES" series.
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How did you find KHCC?
G: "I was a little scared to come at first. It was a new place. But when I started everyone was so welcoming and it felt like home. You don't go to work, you got to home. It doesn’t feel like work here."
L: "I'm very friendly and I want to know the people around here and feel welcome."
Why have you stayed at KHCC?
G: "I don’t like changes, and the community is very united. I see how they work on problems and help each other. I see how someone shouldn’t have Monday blues and how Margaret comes and helps."
L: "It's hard to leave family behind. I go to school at Lehman College and they’re very helpful and flexible with my hours here."
What’s one of your favorite memories from your time here?
G: "I like the summer time because kids go and play in the garden in the sprinklers and they’ll run and get wet and don't care. I like to see the children grow."
L: "My favorite time is when I interned for IT. I learned a lot and their knowledge on IT is beautiful. It's fun because you get to see another side of Jose you don’t see."
What have you learned through being here?
G: "I didn’t know about this place and all the programs and what they do to the community before I started. A lot of the boroughs should know about the help we give to the community. There's more here than just the four walls."
L: "A lot of people don’t know about this program. There's a lot of opportunity and a lot of help. There are the people who used to work here and come to visit and parents whose children who’ve already gone through the program."
Where is your favorite place on site and why?
G: "I like to walk around a lot so I would say the whole place, but if I had to pick one I would say the gym."
L: "I would say the playground. It's very playful with the children."
G: "I would second that."
L: "Taking a drink in there and very chill"
G: "It's very calming in there and in the garden. A calm place you need to be from work."
L: "If I've got a break you'll see me walking around."
To learn more about Changing Futures, visit the Program page.
To learn more about Early Childhood Services, visit the Program page.