Kenyaun Christie wears many hats at our agency.
He’s the Assistant Director of Navigation and his primary job is to help young people find housing. He counsels and places anywhere from two hundred to three hundred young people every year into our supportive housing programs.
He is Larkin Street’s housing expert.
“It’s very rewarding. We have some youth that get so excited that they have four walls and a blanket. And no one bothering them, and they can lock their door. It brings tears to my eyes sometimes.”
Because having housing is key for changing lives. It gives young people experiencing homelessness stability, safety, and a place to go every day after a long day of school, job interviews, or work.
“We meet clients where they’re at. If they’re in crisis, college, homelessness, seeing them at different stages and developing plans over time and watching them achieve goals really fulfills me.”
Kenyaun has been with us for three years. Prior to his current role, he was a program manager. Being at Larkin Street allows him to connect with a lot of different people on different level.
“I like watching people see their own power and succeed. I think it’s a beautiful thing to watch somebody transform and blossom and accomplish goals.”
One former client, who Kenyaun supported, is now working in the Human Resources department at Salesforce! The majority of young people who come through our doors need the kind of encouragement that takes time, commitment, and compassion.
“Sometimes youth don’t trust easily, building a rapport, listening to their stories, figuring out resources and then helping them is what we do. All that coordination is a lot, but we have to be able to do that.”
And doing this, is exactly what Kenyaun wants to do. Finding Kenyaun to help lead our team was kismet. Kenyaun believes finding us, was destiny.
“I feel like I was cut from this type of cloth. I know I’m working with humans and supporting them. It flows through my blood and I feel like I’m made for this.”
