With so many wonderful ministries happening at Ciudad Nueva, it’s time to pause and honor an amazing staff member who plays many roles to keep us running! Meet Jen Kaufmann, our behind-the-scenes organizer and former coordinator of Launchpad, Ciudad Nueva’s program for elementary school students.
Jen first came to us in 2007 and volunteered her time in our middle school program. Cliff and Sami had already been acquainted with Jen before she began volunteering. She shared her artistic talents with our elementary and middle school kids, got to know our middle school students through helping them with the climbing wall, and even assisted with taking high school students to summer camp. Jen was drawn to Ciudad Nueva’s vision and team. She expressed that the team “truly cares about each other, the community, and our kids.”
“I am always inspired by the way our team loves our community.”
She fell in love with the ministry through her time volunteering. She said, “I loved getting to know the kids. I loved taking kids to camp. I really enjoy the passion that the team has.” In 2012, Jen assumed the role of program director for Launchpad. After three years, she started working in communications as well, taking on multiple responsibilities to help our program run smoothly. Jen has worn many hats and has been selfless in her service here at Ciudad Nueva, and now she serves as our amazing communication and event coordinator.
“From volunteering, I moved into the role of director of Launch Pad for five years. I also helped with event planning, social media, websites, and newsletters.”
Jen continues to learn more and more about ministry through her work. She said, “I have been reminded over again that changing a community requires focusing on the whole person and community.” She believes that each part of the community is valuable, and each person we serve in this neighborhood can receive blessing and change. All of the avenues we go down work together to support the community as a whole.
“We need to think about the youth, the parents, the grandparents, and the neighbors. All of the education, food co-op, art classes, legal help, and community events help to complete the ultimate goal of seeing transformation in the Rio Grande neighborhood.”
In addition to helping us stay organized, Jen brings her fun-loving personality to the students in our program. She shared that her favorite activities at work include taking the kids to camp and leading camp activities, teaching art classes and working on outreach “to help more people get to know Ciudad Nueva and what we do.” Jen’s role has changed and grown throughout her years here on our team. She’s remained a faithful minister to our youth, and her organization of our program is a constant asset.
Thank you, Jen, for the joyful dedication you bring to our team!
When Jen is not working, she finds joy in crafting, reading to her four children (age 10, 8, 5, and 3), and baking delicacies for her family. She is married to the love of her life, David, who volunteered at Ciudad Nueva right alongside her.
Would you like to get involved in a community that loves and cares for one another? We would love to welcome you as part of ours. Call us today at 915-521-2951 or contact us online.
