Growing food and leaders Hammon is known among his fellow interns and staff as a hard worker who infuses much-appreciated fun and goofiness into their days. Throughout his internship, he's worked in the farm greenhouses, cared for the pollinator garden to sustain bees and monarchs, helped build school gardens at Thema Parks and MLK Elementary Schools and landscaped at Restore OKC’s offices. “He’s been such a delight,” said Miller. “He’s wise, he’s consistent, he’s willing to work hard. He doesn’t mind following and is willing to defer to other teens in leadership positions. He does a good job honoring and respecting others, handling conflict directly, but maturely, in private.” Throughout the summer internship, when Hammon spent 15 hours a week at Restore Farms, two days were work days but the third was dedicated to education. In addition to learning about agriculture, Hammon has gained life, business and communication skills, including introductions to marketing, budgeting and graphic design. One of his favorite opportunities has been cooking classes and meeting a professional chef, and he’s most grateful for the connections he’s made with people who inspire him to do what he loves.
Ann Miller, director of Restore Farms, and her colleagues at Restore OKC promote racial reconciliation by partnering with neighbors in Northeast Oklahoma City to end the cycles of poverty many find themselves caught in. The internship program with Restore Farms was born out of a desire to provide work for local teens, while also exposing them to a variety of career choices and empowering them to serve their community. Miller consistently tells interns that she and her staff will have achieved their goals if one of them comes back to take over their jobs. Hammon is a prime example of a student for whom she believes that possible, due to his work ethic, empathy for those he leads and desire to enable others’ strengths to shine. “Above all else, we want to invest in these kids, help them pursue their dreams and end the food desert in Northeast Oklahoma City, and they are working with us to brainstorm ways to do that,” said Miller. Currently, Restore Farms employs 15 interns with capacity to bring on board as many as 25. Students learn many facets of agriculture by working in the 5-acre farm and area elementary school community gardens. Hammon sets the standard, leading by example, believing in his own merits and bringing out the assets in those around him. “Everyone deserves the opportunity to work and show their worth,” said Hammon.
Changing Lives– One Dog at a Time
Thirteen-year-old Caleb White volunteers every weekend at Oklahoma City Animal Welfare. Whether it’s featuring a dog for #FreeMeFriday, taking pets to events for potential adoption, or playing ball with a furry friend for an afternoon, his passion for animal rescue is a prime example of why we’re inspired by kids like Caleb. At Kimray, our mission is to make a difference in the lives of those we serve. Caleb exemplifies this by living out that mission in the service he provides to his community. And that’s The Kimray Way.
METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / OCTOBER 2020 43
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