As soon as he learned that he would be getting a promotion at CAMBA Beacon 269, Pav Seepersaud dug into his pocket. He was donating to our new Earn and Learn Fund to provide paid summer internships for low-income teens.

What would inspire a young man, working his way through Kingsborough College, to use his limited resources to support Earn and Learn?

"I want other people to have the opportunities I've had," Pav says. He credits his intern experiences---first working with the New York Police Department and later with the Beacon as a camp counselor---with setting him on a career path in physical education.

Adetomi Akintitan, a high school freshman who is part of CAMBA's Collegiate Express college prep program, is hoping for a summer internship this year.  Designer Elie Tahari and Saks Fifth Avenue helped her recently by hosting a sale of the designer's newest line to raise money for Earn and Learn. In addition, Tahari donated a professional outfit to Adetomi, so she is polished and ready for that first job.

Paid, meaningful summer internships offer teenagers benefits that go well beyond spending money or college savings. 

A quality summer internship can make a lifetime of difference for a young person.

As Pav discovered, internships can help teens test career interests, meet mentors, increase networks outside their neighborhoods and develop real-world work skills and job credentials. Studies show that early work experiences help people obtain better and higher-paid jobs.

Through Earn and Learn, CAMBA is seeking both funding to pay internship salaries for 25 summer interns and companies willing to provide meaningful paid internships.

For more information on Earn and Learn, go to CAMBA.org/EarnLearn. And join us tomorrow night to support the fund at our Cocktails for Careers event (see below).

Social workers at CAMBA are many things. They are the bridges that connect clients to vital services and benefits; they are the maps for the roads to self-sufficiency; and they are the ears, simply there to listen when clients need to talk after a hard day.

So, early this month, when CAMBA's social workers got an afternoon of recognition, it was a much-appreciated reward for their hard work.

The recognition was for National Social Work Month. To celebrate, about 45 social workers from around the agency came together on April 1 for a lunch and talk at CAMBA's 97 Crooke Avenue. They were joined by CAMBA President and CEO Joanne Oplustil and by Robert Schachter, the Executive Director of the NYC chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

Drawing from his personal background and professional experiences, Schachter stood before his colleagues and talked about topics that resonated with the crowd. He discussed current professional requirements, licensure and the role of the national association, among others.

Above all, however, Schachter's presence served to highlight the invaluable---and often thankless---work of his audience members.

Said Claire Harding-Keefe, a CAMBA Senior Vice President: "Schachter recognized the work our folks do every day... in often very challenging situations."