HDA Offering Paid Summer Internship
Applications being accepted through May 9
HAZARD, Ky. (April 21, 2025) – A rewarding job opportunity is available this summer for local youth who have “aged out” of the foster care system.
The Housing Development Alliance (HDA), a nonprofit affordable housing developer located in Hazard, is currently taking applications for its Sam Smith Memorial Summer Internship. The internship, which is named in memory of the late Sam Smith, a former HDA summer intern who was hired on as a full-time carpenter, offers 8 weeks of paid training in the construction trade for 18 to 21-year-olds who have just exited foster care, have recommitted, or are disadvantaged.
Applicants must be 18 years old to apply. No prior construction experience is required, and the deadline for applications is May 9, 2025.
The 8-week internship runs from June 9 through Aug. 1 and provides hands-on, onsite training in new home construction and home repair. Three intern positions are available. Interns are expected to work 40-hour work weeks and will be paid $13 an hour with benefits.
Should HDA find it is unable to fill the positions with young adults exiting the foster care system, Gabbard suggested other youth who could benefit from the opportunity will be considered.
According to a study published in 2023 by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the number of kids living in foster care in Kentucky increased dramatically between 2020 and 2022. More than half of these kids will age out of the system without reunification with the family and have no supportive adult connections or access to resources.
Gabbard said HDA intends for the internship to act as a connector for local youth aging out of the foster care system to stable employment and/or postsecondary education.
“We can’t guarantee a full-time job with HDA upon completion of the internship, but any intern who performs well could certainly end up with a job offer,” Gabbard added. “We also encourage our interns to enroll in courses at Hazard Community & Technical College (HCTC), where they can earn certificates in construction technology.”
If an intern is both a productive member of HDA’s carpenter crew and enrolls in college courses, the chance will be given to them to return for a second internship the following summer, Gabbard noted.
Funded in part and made possible by a grant from the Berea College Appalachian Fund, HDA’s paid summer internship also offers key wraparound services to the youth it employs. Through HDA’s programs and partners, interns will be able to access financial education, mentorship, employment services and assistance, etc.
HDA expects to begin interviewing candidates for the internship on May 12.
Those interested can apply online here. For questions about the internship, email shannon@hdahome.org or call the HDA office at 606-436-0497.
HDA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, minorities, Section 3 (low and very low-income) residents, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
About Housing Development Alliance, Inc.
Serving Breathitt, Knott, Leslie, and Perry counties, the Housing Development Alliance (HDA) is a nonprofit affordable housing developer that serves as lender, counselor, developer, and contractor for low-income persons in need of housing assistance. We work with multiple organizations within the federal, state, and local governments and in the private sector to help individuals break down barriers to access the resources they need to build financial stability through affordable housing. For more information, visit www.hdahome.org
