Stories

We recently had the opportunity to hear from Khalil Payne, one of our Kidz2Leaders program Alumni! He shared about his journey toward becoming a musician, the impact of Kidz2Leaders in his life, and his hopes for the future. We’re excited to share his story with you in his own words… 

“My name is Khalil, I’m a sophomore at the University of North Florida. When I was in fourth grade my mom told me I was going to camp, and to pack up my stuff for five days. It was my first time at camp, I didn’t know what to expect, but I completely loved it. I was looking up to these counselors who were probably the age I am now, and I thought they were the coolest people in the world. We went rock climbing, and it was just so fun, I remember it vividly.

I kept coming back to camp every year. And, every year, I’d cry when it was time to leave, because I was bonding with these people, but I knew I’d see them again the next summer. Eventually I moved up to the leadership training camp, and then the Interns4Tomorrow program for two years, and then became a counselor.

When I was in sixth grade, I decided to try orchestra. They had violin, viola, and cello base. I didn’t like violin, my hands felt so scrunched up holding it. Viola was the same. When I got to the cello, I was nervous because it was huge and I had to stretch my whole body out to play the instrument. I had no idea what I was doing, but I felt an instant connection. It was like I could channel my emotions through it.

A lot of people tell me that I’m extremely expressive in how I play. I make it a personal performance every time I get on stage. When I was nine, my biological mom was murdered. It was traumatic for me, and I was sad for a long time. There were so many days when I’d pick up the cello, not to practice technique, but I’d just do what sounded right until I learned to play a whole song by ear. Then I’d put feeling into it. Every time I play, I’m telling my story.

Now that I’m in a college, a lot of the musicians around me are extremely atheist and denounce Christianity. I felt a little further away from God, being so surrounded by negativity. But I found a Christian ministry on campus and started hanging out with them. It made the campus feel smaller. And I’m glad I made the decision to come back here to camp, because I feel a lot closer to God.

I’ve been coming to Camp Hope for a decade now, and I want to come back and serve at camp. Everyone here has a similar story to mine. The thing I keep thinking about is that the way our lives started is kind of rough, but it’s the coolest comeback story. Putting the effort in is valuable—You could literally change the lives of these kids. And then they’ll want to come back and do it for someone else. Ten years from now, the impact could be huge, it reaches even further than Camp Hope.”

We are so proud of Khalil, and all he’s overcome and accomplished. And we are grateful to be part of his story! 

We welcomed a record-breaking number of first-time campers at Camp Hope 2023! This year we received applications from 170 families to join our program, representing 500% growth over previous years.

Due to capacity limitations, we were able to accept just over 40% of applicants, using a computer generated randomization process to ensure applications were selected fairly. Our new campers had their first Kidz2Leaders experience at camp this summer, and we are so excited to continue to serve them throughout the year!

We look forward to expanding one day and seeing programs like our replicated across the country. Until then, we are grateful to serve each child and family in our programs. We are committed to fostering long-term, meaningful relationships and offering the tangible and spiritual support our campers and their families need, so they can thrive!

We recently had the opportunity to hear from Corelle Hill, one of our Kidz2Leaders program Alumni! She shared about recent accomplishment of graduating from Georgia State University with her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management, the impact of Kidz2Leaders in her life, and her hopes for the future. We’re excited to share her story with you in her own words… 

“I’m very close with my family. When I was a child, my dad was incarcerated. My mom did her best to take care of us. She showed me what it means to keep going with hard circumstances. I remember one day she told us we were going to camp! My dad had heard about Camp Hope and signed us up. Once we entered the program, it was life changing. We had a lot of support.

After I completed the camp leadership program, I went on to be a part of Kidz2Leaders’ Interns4Tomorrow program. That was the start of my professional journey. It gave me real-world work experience and impacted my outlook on life. That was also when I met my business coach, Melissa Davis.

I’ve always been very driven in school. My parents instilled great values in me, and I’ve always known striving to do your best was important. But the decision to go to college was confusing in some ways. As a first-generation college student, I didn’t know what to look for on school tours or what to major in. Melissa Davis was there for me from the beginning. She got me my first laptop. She also suggested that I major in business management.

I learned so much from my program! Getting my degree was an accomplishment, and I’m glad to know I’ll be able to support my younger siblings as they pursue their education. As I look to the future, I hope to establish my career within a reputable company with a great work environment. I want somewhere I can grow and develop professionally and make connections. I’m definitely interested in furthering my education one day. And I hope to be a role model for someone coming behind me, just like the people who impacted me when I was young.

I’m so thankful to have had Kidz2Leaders in my life. If the mission of this organization resonates with you, I would encourage you to get involved, to donate, and to pass the message along! We all need a community to lean on—that’s what this organization has been for me, and I believe it will impact your life too.”

We are so proud of Corelle, both in her accomplishments and her character. It’s been a privilege to be part of her story and we continue to cheer her on in her next steps in life as part of the K2L alumni community! 

Our 2022—2023 Interns4Tomorrow program launched this past November! We are thrilled to share that we have nineteen interns this year, more than ever before. Each intern has been paired with a business coach for mentoring and will go through a year of professional development training leading up to this summer, when when they’ll receive a professional wardrobe and a three-week paid internship with a local business.

We’re so excited for our interns to embark on this year of growth and development and we have two ways you can help:

1. We are in need of meals once a month for our interns and business coaches (40 people in total). Would you or your community be willing to sponsor a meal?
2. We’re looking for local business partners to host our interns. If you and your company are interested in learning more, please reach out to us at info@kidz2leaders.org! We’d love to explore the possibility with you.

As always, your prayers for our program participants are deeply appreciated. For our interns, please be praying that:

• the program would be a blessing to them and their families.
• this year-long experience would bring growth, clarity, and long-term impact.
• the relationships between coaches and interns would be transformative and meaningful.
• the interns will have the endurance to stay full engaged and finish strong!