Kenya Matta
Program Director, Turning Point Young Women’s Shelter and Henry Street Houses, from Brooklyn, New York
“I’m the oldest girl of six siblings, and my mom was a single mom in nursing school. I’d say the Boys and Girls club raised us. We’d go after school, and they’d help with our homework and get us ready for the next day. Being able to escape there, and not have to worry about being a mom to my brothers and sisters, was something I looked forward to. I went to school to become a director of my own kind of Boys and Girls club, and now every day when I come to work, I’m greeted by 39 young women, ages 18 to 25. But the difference is, when I was 18, I wouldn’t have gone into a shelter—I would have been shacked up with some guy. I always say to my women that they’re stronger than I’ll ever be.
You have to be a mother, a counselor, a friend—it’s almost like how with makeup, I can’t put the same shade of color on each person and think it’s going to fit. It’s not. Sometimes the women need somebody to say, ‘No, that doesn’t look professional.’ Sometimes when they come to me, they don’t know how to dispose of a pad properly, or why you should go to a gynecologist. I have an open door policy, and we can be as real as we need to without being disrespectful. I have two young girls of my own, so I just try to guide these young ladies the same way. We work through things—we don’t leave upset.
In this job you’ve got to be vulnerable, and for me, asking for help is hard. Even help from my coworkers or my husband. I just have to hope that the people I care for will give it back to me with the drive, and enthusiasm, and empathy that I might need at that moment. What BCS does is phenomenal. But we have a job because of other people’s misfortunes—what are we going to do with that?
I’m on call 24 hours a day, so my time for myself is really in the shower and on the train—I could read a book or just look up at the ceiling. I go to therapy, and my nail tech Selena is my therapist too, sometimes. I take a lot of pride in my nails. I even do my toes the same way. I’ll go to Selena every two weeks, and when I leave her I feel beautiful.
I buy makeup from all different brands, because when I like the color I’ll just get it. Once a few women in the shelter said to me, ‘We realize that your mood changes based on the color you wear,’ and they’re right. Red is my favorite—when I wear red, I feel powerful. I like a red lip like this with bronze-y colors that make my skin pop, because I think I have a beautiful smile. Just saying! [Laughs] Makeup makes me feel good in the moment. I forget about things. I’m excited when my girls get to have those moments, too.”
Employees of Brooklyn Community Services photographed by Alan Winslow in Brooklyn, New York on February 4, 2020. Hair and makeup touchups provided by Glamsquad.
