We’re in the thick of the seasonal summer employment season and that’s music to the ears and heart of Cynthia Baisden.
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We're in the thick of the seasonal summer employment season and that's music to the ears and heart of Cynthia Baisden.
As a program manager at the nonprofit Community Renewal Team (CRT), which had $59.2 million in revenue in fiscal 2016, Baisden heads up a summer youth employment program for Greater Hartford area teens that facilitates group sessions and workshops to build employment-readiness skills.
In addition to giving about 190 Hartford area youngsters — ages 14 to 21 — real-world job experience, it also provides local employers some free help: program participants are paid through a grant provided by Capital Workforce Partners, the city of Hartford and others.
Baisden was born and raised in Hartford, and while she moved to Bloomfield three years ago — after five decades in her home city — she said her goal is to see young Hartford residents thrive.
What is Community Renewal Team's most important initiative at the moment?
CRT has been serving people in Hartford and Middlesex counties for the past 55 years. They run dozens of different programs and services for people of all ages. I think CRT's most important initiative right now is the work we're doing to assist families in finding ways to achieve new successes and realize their full potential.
You oversee CRT's summer youth employment program. Employment demands have been rapidly changing in recent years. What can young people do to stay ahead of the curve?
Young people can get a real head start by participating in programs like the summer youth employment program. Students learn valuable skills that they will be able to take with them to future jobs.
What inspired you to get into the human-services field?
I wanted to find a way to help individuals during some of the most crucial times in their lives. My work makes it possible for me to lend a hand to distressed parents who need an advocate at their child's school or conduct workshops that uplift and encourage women who have been broken down by life's challenges.
Can you tell us something about yourself most people don't know?
I am an intercessor who prays for many people. I am also the grandmother of 12 beautiful children.
