Ava Steaffens

Santa Ana
Former CEO

How did you become involved with KidWorks?

I worked for Hispanic Ministry Center where the KidWorks program began and was invited by the Board to incorporate KidWorks into its own nonprofit in the community.

Share the most meaningful experiences you’ve had at KidWorks? What made them impactful to you?

Getting to know the families in the community as well as the community of coworkers, supporters and partners that came alongside KidWorks was the most meaningful. I loved that we are all so interconnected and that the children growing up in the KidWorks community have a very large extended family beyond their immediate family. Some of the most impactful experiences were seeing the first preschool class graduate high school and go to college, seeing the greater OC community come together to make the Dan Donahue Center a reality, and seeing young people that grew up at KW come back and serve on the staff.

Can you talk about some of the biggest obstacles KidWorks' programming overcame when you were involved?

When we first started building community and programs for children, youth, and families in the KidWorks community, the high school graduation rate was 56%. This was a huge challenge because we knew that if children and youth didn't see themselves capable of graduating high school, they wouldn't be motivated to dream or believe that they could become contributing members of their community. It was quite an accomplishment when we started seeing 100% high school graduation rate for our participants on an annual basis!

What does KidWorks mean to you? Looking back, how did KW help to shape your life? How did KW help to influence the person you are today

KidWorks helped me to realize the beauty of loving your neighbor - whether it's your neighbor next door, your neighbor across town, or your migrant neighbor passing through. As I grew more in living that out, I also learned what it is to be loved by my neighbors. This literally turned my life upside down.

What are your dreams for KidWorks over the next 10, 20, or 30 years?

My dream for future generations at KidWorks is to see graduates of KidWorks leading in transformational ways not only in their community but across the state, nation, and the world.