Twenty-three young people in foster care, ages 16 and up, participated in our Summer Internship Program between June and September. The Internship Program was established in 2014 with generous funding from the family and friends of the late Jamie Kirk Hahn, who served as a member of the Board of Directors of The Hope Center at Pullen. Participants in the Summer Internship Program received coaching with resume writing and interviewing and worked at paid internships at nonprofits and businesses across Wake County. They also took part in “Success Skills Workshops” to discuss financial literacy, workplace communication, and workplace expectations. Throughout the internship, our program manager and the site supervisors worked together to make sure the young people stayed on track, and to offer constructive feedback and address any issues that arose.

This work experience was transformative for the participants, introducing them to the responsibilities of the workplace and the exuberance of earning a paycheck. The program participants made contacts and found mentors and references for future job searches. Some were offered jobs where they interned. We are grateful to area employers, Wake County Human Services, our corporate and foundation partners, private donors, and transportation volunteers for making this program a great success.