As a teenager, Kendie Jackson had only heard of Children’s Home Society of Washington in passing. However, in a seemingly fated turn of events, this mother of two became not only a  Children’s Home Society of Washington participant, but a valued staffer as well.
 
Years ago, an aunt visited Children’s Home Society of Washington's facility in Kent—now the South King County Family Resource Center (SKCFRC)—to pick up some diapers and other household items, and had 18-year-old Kendie in tow.
 
“Fast forward to 2013; after five and a half years of working at a dental office I got laid off, and over the course of time I had two sons,” Kendie said.
 
Kendie enrolled in Career Paths Services, which provides job search assistance and pairs unemployed workers with an organization that aligns with their professional skillset. Kendie was placed at Children’s Home Society of Washington, where she helps manage the front desk at the SKCFRC.
  
“I’m always about making people happy and putting a smile on their face, and working at Children’s Home Society of Washington didn’t stop that for me—it enhanced that,” she said.
 
Kendie has enrolled her sons—Kendall, 4, and Kenderrick, 9 months—at the Children’s Home Society of Washington's Early Learning Center at Highline Community College. The center provides individualized learning plans for children, so they can learn at their own pace. They are guided by trained educators to build their cognitive, language, motor and social skills so they excel in kindergarten.
 
“When I drop my boys off, I feel like I’m leaving them with one of my family members,” Kendie said. “Children’s Home Society of Washington as a whole is very unique in that they show love and support for the families—not just the child at the facility—but the family as a whole.”
 
As her Children’s Home Society of Washington internship ends, Kendie looks forward to being a full-time employee again, and will be managing the front office at a dental firm. “Now that I’m back on my feet, I’m able to contribute and give back,” she said. “If I get calls in my dental office from people who need help, I know what’s available out there and can point them to Children’s Home Society of Washington.”