For Yadira and Brennan this will be their third summer working at New City Farm! We are thankful to have each of them on our team, sharing their gifts and abilities with our high school staff this summer. As farm managers they will be overseeing their peers as they do work out in the field and as they help shareholders at the farm share pick up.
Yadira says, “I’m looking forward to seeing the younger students grow. I am excited to see how I can make an impact on their lives.” Brennan agrees with Yadira, saying, “I am looking forward to sharing my experiences and passing the torch to the new students on our team.” Brennan also shared that he is excited about the additional responsibilities that will be entrusted to him this summer, and seeing how he will handle it all. “It makes me feel more like an adult,” he stated.
At New City Farm students start out their first summer as a student intern. First year student interns are paid a $1000 stipend for the summer, second year employees earn $9 an hour, and managers earn $10 an hour. We believe this succession helps students understand the reward of promotion upon successful work. Students are eligible to be a manager on the farm or in the cafe in their third year. As an organization that strives to empower youth to reach their full potential, we are thankful to be able to rely on our student leaders to take on big jobs and projects. Not only does it help build our capacity, but it empowers our youth to lead. Both Yadira and Brennan have spent countless hours working on our farm, as well as taking time to spend with our middle and elementary school students. Brennan is always willing to lend an extra hand and come up with new ideas for ways we can do things. Yadira has spent the past two summers working on the farm as well as volunteering with our elementary program as a tutor and field trip volunteer. She got involved in New City Neighbors as an elementary student herself, continuing on to the bakery, and then the farm. We are thankful that Yadira continues to invest her time and energy into our work and ministry together.
Both Brennan and Yadira serve as role models for the other students in our program, from the elementary students all the way to their high school peers. Their commitment to the work we do together at New City Neighbors inspires all of us and we can’t wait to see what the summer holds!
