Brooklyn teen needs help getting paid hundreds in lost summer wages

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, Brooklyn (WABC) -- A Brooklyn teen says she was shortchanged on a summer job and out hundreds after spending dozens of hours working with underprivileged kids for a city-run nonprofit.

But her mother knew best - she called Nina Pineda and 7 On Your Side.
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Crystal Kelly's dream of a trip to the Far East was shattered when she didn't get paid for her summer job as a counselor with St. Nicks Alliance.

"I was planning on going to Japan to study but because I didn't get paid, I couldn't go because I could not do the application," Kelly said.

The 17-year-old got a job as a camp counselor at St. Nicks Alliance. The nonprofit, based in Brooklyn, was the perfect fit for the aspiring teacher.

"I would do errands, copy paper, sit with the kids and teach the kids," Kelly said.



But after working 23 hours her first week, she only got paid for 10 hours.
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"I spoke to my supervisor and said 'hey what's going on with my pay the website glitched,'" she said.



Kelly worked the next week as well, but then had to find another job.

Her mom said she couldn't get any answers.

"We would leave several messages and nobody would return the calls," her mom Kimberly Royall said.



Summer ended and Kelly never found another job, so her trip to Japan never happened.
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Kelly said she was very disappointed, she was planning to travel the world but couldn't afford the application fee.

So the mom and daughter called 7 On Your Side and we called the nonprofit for her back pay.

The youth director herself got right back to us, they reviewed Kelly's signed time sheets, identified all the wages due and thanked us for bringing this to their attention so they could resolve it.

"I watch your show situated and rectified and get people what you're owed, 7 On Your side got involved, we got our answer," Royall said.

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