By James W. Robinson
Contributing writer
Hope for Suffolk is helping the city’s young people learn and grow. As part of Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church, the farm work program offers the city’s teenagers a faith-based space to engage and work together.
Program Director Nyasia Johnson and intern Caleb Williams talked about the organization and their own work, the internship program process, and the upcoming Harvest Festival.
Johnson explained the nonprofit’s mission and what it offers to inmates.
“The mission of Hope for Suffolk, it comes from the background of our leaders in poverty alleviation. So years ago, Hope for Suffolk was aimed at adults who were having a hard time finding work and things of that nature. And as things changed, we realized we needed to work with young people. Hope for Suffolk is unique for many reasons, but I like to highlight the fact that it is a Christian-based organization and offers our interns paid employment as well as training and development that they can use as soon as they get it.”
Johnson provided more details about the internship program and what parents and their children need to know to participate.
“Our placements will run from March to October, so around December is when we’ll start saying ‘hey, we’re hiring’. Our main thing is that as long as you’re 15 or over and willing to work outside, we can help -te. … If you meet those two quotas, around December, definitely start looking at our social media on Facebook and Instagram, Hope for Suffolk, and also our website, where the application can be found.
Likewise, Johnson pointed out the benefits of those who complete the internship.
“The funny thing about the program is that students who complete our internships, or internships like ours, go out to earn 3 percent more than their peers,” he said.
Working the farm
Williams described what it’s like to be an intern at Hope for Suffolk and what the day-to-day work is like.
“We go in, get ready, work starts at 3:30 p.m., so we go out and do a briefing,” he said. “We start with something like a devotional, so Nyasia will usually come out and talk to us, give us a little pep talk, like a pep talk first for the work day. And then our farm manager, Sarah, she’ll give us a list of what our tasks are for the day, what we’re doing and what we need to do for the day.”
Williams said the interns get to work, taking care of their two personal lines. “We just check in to see what else needs to be done and it’s really just the basics like weeding … bagging and producing,” he said.
Johnson said her planning duties as program manager are an important part of her job, along with the day-to-day support she provides to inmates.
“For me, as a program manager, a day’s work … starts with me preparing what my adventure is, and so it’s usually me talking to God and just asking Him what I should say or where I should ‘go today,’ he said. . “After that, around that time, the interns start coming in, so I like to talk to them, just see how their day is going so far, with the school coming back to see how it’s going.”
Johnson said the workday usually starts a few minutes after that.
“During the workday, I’m not out as much as our farm manager and our director,” he said. “Normally I’m doing paperwork or planning the Harvest Festival or doing payroll and things of that nature.”
The day ends with Johnson making announcements. “They differ between what we’re going through or what season we’re in,” he said.
Harvest Festival
Johnson said another big part of the organization is its upcoming Harvest Festival from 2 to 6 p.m. on Oct. 1.
“Our Harvest Festival is an event for the whole community. When our director was thinking about Hope for Suffolk and what it would look like, she wanted to end the season on a high note and give our fellows a chance to be a part of something for the whole community,” Johnson said. “So, basically, I get information from my interns like ‘What do people like at festivals?’ like ‘What do we want to eat? What do we want to have?’ and so, from there, I put his comments that put legs on it to get it going.”
He said the interns work at the many stations they have set up during the Harvest Festival.
“So we have five bounce houses and we would have interns who are referees. For free food, we have cotton candy and popcorn and snow cones, our interns would work there and things of that nature,” Johnson said.
He also gave more details for the attendees and those who want to join the festival.
“For people who want to come, it is very open. It’s here at our place, which is at Westminster Church at 3488 Godwin Boulevard and we’re only asking for individual donations of $5 and if you’re coming with your family, you can bring $10 and that would be fine.”
Williams recalled how much she enjoyed her experience with the festival.
“I was there for the last one and it was fun,” he said. “We had a ton of things — things to do for all ages, like games, food, vendors, things like that. And there’s also going to be the graduation ceremony for the interns.”
Key points of the program
There are important things they both think the community should know about Hope for Suffolk.
Williams noted how anyone begins their career.
“It’s a great boost to almost anything you want to do,” he said. “I think the program itself can help you branch out into whatever career, life goal you’re trying to achieve. And it’s also great at getting you out there and meeting new people.”
Johnson is impressed by how the organization provides a close family atmosphere.
“It’s one of those programs that you can’t really explain until you experience it,” he said. “I tell interns all the time when I applied for this job, I was nervous. I said, “I don’t want to be the program manager for an agricultural program.” But it is much more than that. And from the staff to the interns we have, we become a family. Having interns from so many different backgrounds and so many differences, when you spend almost eight or nine months with the person or a group of people, it creates a bond.”
For more information about the program and its activities, see hopeforsuffolk.org.
