For over a decade, Cristo Rey Newark High School (formerly Christ the King Prep) has provided our Home Energy Assistance Program at 317 Roseville Avenue with eager and helpful student interns. Students learn valuable skills and gain real life work experience, and they help lighten the load while bringing a youthful exuberance to the office.
The students perform a range of tasks such as mail sorting and date stamping, filing and indexing, answering phone messages, scanning and organizing documents, interacting with staff and clients, preparing mailings, and labeling envelopes. According to Home Energy Assistance Manager Cecelia Aiken, the students grow in leaps and bounds and truly enjoy the experience.
Recent intern Heidi says, “I learned a lot of new things at La Casa. I definitely got better at communicating and developed other people skills, too. I’m so appreciative of everything because I know that those skills will help me in the future, which is very important to me. It’s been a great opportunity to work with La Casa as an intern because I’ve learned how important and amazing the work is that they do every day. It was good experience for me helping the community, especially the people in need.”
Not only does the internship program help equip future leaders with the tools they’ll need to succeed, it also demonstrates to them the value of service to the community.
Our staff looks forward to the day when we’ll be able to welcome a new class of interns and continue to teach youth to serve.
“I am fortunate to have worked at La Casa. The lessons I learned are fundamental to my development. Customer service, data keying, and patience has helped me gained a newfound perspective.
Overall, I’m truly grateful for everything I have learned during my time with everyone and wish you perseverance, peace, and prosperity during this time. Thank you for having me!”
-Jahmia, Intern from Cristo Rey Newark High School
