“Jennifer Miller is the shining star of our Kingston office and has been for 13 years! Everyone who calls or walks through the doors rightfully expects a smiling face and a welcoming voice because they can always depend on Jennifer’s bright spirit…”
“She is the kindest soul and extends that kindness to anyone and everyone she comes into contact with. Day in and day out she takes phone calls from clients, providers, county case workers, donors, prospective families, and the like and never fails to treat them with respect and be as helpful as she possibly can…”
- KidsPeace Foundation HELP award nominations
Jennifer Miller:
This is an unexpected and very exciting honor, and I want to thank all those involved in supporting me. Reflecting upon my time at KidsPeace, I think back to 2010 when I was laid off and was so devastated that I ended up taking a temp job with a local human service agency, working in a grant funded program that provided rental assistance. I really liked working there, but it was only a six- month gig; once the funding ran out the job ended and unfortunately there were no full- time jobs available within that agency at that time. So once again I was on the hunt for full-time employment, but now I knew that I wanted to be in an industry that helped people.
Then, as luck would have it, a good friend of mine told me she knew someone that was looking for a secretary at KidsPeace. At that time, I had never heard of KidsPeace, so I did a quick Google search to find out more about this agency. As soon as I read the mission, I knew I had to apply. At the time I had no idea what an adventure I was about to start.
Well, let me tell you, the last thirteen years have been the greatest of my life!
All sorts of people come into this office, for many varieties of reasons and when they arrive I like to make their experience as comfortable as possible. We see clients on the best day of their lives, and unfortunately some of their worst. Whether they are coming in for case counseling, family visits, or simply coming to work, everyone should be treated equally. You never know what someone might be going through, so it is important to be kind and greet each person with a smile.
Foster Care is very important because it has been proven that for some children a family-based environment is a better setting than a group home, as it provides a more stable environment. We have worked with so many different families and clients from our community. It has been so wonderful to experience meeting such a diverse and beautiful group of people. I have learned so much from being a part of this journey; it definitely has made me more empathetic and compassionate towards everyone I meet. You might never know how you’ve impacted someone’s life with just a short pleasant interaction.
I certainly have had some tears, some triumphs, and have met some of my best friends here. Most of all, this experience has taught me how resilient individuals can be.
The Kingston, NY office is an amazing community of the most hard- working and caring people I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. I’m proud of all the work we do here! I’m very lucky to be a part of this amazing organization – it has definitely changed my life. Again, thank you so much for this honor!
