The Servant Center Inc. Internship

Internship Location: The Servant Center Time period: Spring 2011 Student: Jose Rodriguez

This past semester I had the privilege of completing an internship with the Servant Center, Inc. At first I admit, I was skeptical and unsure if this was what I really wanted to do, but this opportunity turned out to be the best for me. My supervisor, Emily Holmes, taught me a great deal in the time I was there while I worked with her in the Marketing and Advertising Department. I also assisted in the Food Pantry for part of the time I spent there. I found both experiences to be very rewarding and it helped push me in to the direction of what career I may want to pursue.
The Servant Center is a non-profit organization in Greensboro, North Carolina, which provides hope and services to enable vulnerable, homeless and/or disabled people to be independent members of the community. The Servant Center offers four programs that provide assistance to those in need in the community. They offer two transitional housing programs and a disability assistance program providing assistance to patients referred through Moses Cone Health System in filing for Social Security Disability benefits. Lastly, the Servant Center has a Food Pantry and Grocery Assistance Program which serves between 500-600 people each month and includes a monthly food bag delivery program to low-income elderly, a food grocery distribution to low-income individuals and families, as well as an international food pantry for those not yet documented as legal immigrants. All of these programs play a huge role in the Greensboro community.
While working in the food pantry I was able to help in many different ways. For the first half of my time in the pantry, I worked inside the food pantry itself. I would help stock any donated food, and if a large donation came in, I would unload them out of the truck they came in and bring them into the food pantry. For the clients of the Food Pantry, I would prepare bags of the groceries they received. I would then assist any client that may have needed help bringing food to their car. The second part of the time I spent in the pantry I would go with an employee to pick up food from local groceries stores. The Servant Center has great relationships with the Food Lions and Harris Teeters in the area, who donate a generous amount of food every week. When I would go on pick-ups each Monday, the bakery, meat, and produce departments would all give donations. Two coolers full of meat would be filled, some days more than others, and some stores had more to give than others. The bakery departments at each would donate several boxes full of bread and deserts. Just recently the stores started to donate produce such as carrots, broccoli, lettuce and celery. These donations are a huge reason that The Servant Center’s food pantry never has to turn clients away.
My experience in the food pantry I found to be quite rewarding. At first I admit I was skeptical that I would enjoy working in the pantry because things seemed to become repetitive. Unload the truck, bring in the cans, stock them on the shelves, and break down the boxes. However, once I realized how much the food pantry means to its clients I started to truly enjoy working there. Hearing clients tell Katherine, the director of the pantry, how much of a blessing the food pantry and its volunteers are to them and their families is truly gratifying. When I would help clients take their groceries to their car, and the genuine “thank you” I would receive in return ensured me that my time in the pantry was worthwhile. Working in the pantry ensured me that whatever career I wish to pursue, it needs to involve helping others and making a difference in people’s lives.
For the majority of my time at The Servant Center I worked with Emily Hoffman, head of Marketing and Development. At first, I scanned folders, shredded papers, and filed.  However after the first week, Emily asked me if I was good with computers because she had some projects she wanted me to work on. Very excited about the opportunity I answered yes. She asked me if I could help update The Servant Center’s Facebook by adding pictures and changing its statuses. After completing that project with ease, Emily asked me if I could create an email for her using ConstantContact.com. Having no experience with this site, I was a little nervous but she showed me how easy it was to use. The first email I created was for The Servant Center’s Veteran Open House. After doing a job well done I gained her trust with working with programs such as this one for The Servant Center. I created four different emails that were sent out for The Servant Center and became very confident in my abilities while using Constant Contact. The three other emails I created were for the Winter Newsletter, The HumanRace, and the Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. For my next project I was taught how to use Word Press. Word Press is a web software that The Servant Center used to make and update its website, http://www.theservantcenter.org/. I created an Administration account and began to work on and update The Servant Center’s site. I updated the home page’s rotating headlines as well as all seven other pages of the website. This task took several weeks. Word Press is a much more difficult and tedious program to use than Constant Contact but I was able to learn how to use it correctly and efficiently. The next task Emily had for me was using the software eTapestry. The site eTapestry is a program which helps The Servant Center manages their fundraising activities as well as all their clients. This project took the most amount of time and I believe may have been the most beneficial and important to The Servant Center as well. I was given an excel spread sheet with over 500 names of clients, those who gave donations, board members, and golf tournament members to add to this program. This was the most daunting task because not only did I add their names, but also all of their information, their emails, their work, and their association with The Servant Center. I also had to enter whether or not they donated to The Servant Center, how much or what they donated was added as well. I was given several other tasks that did not involve a computer but were still beneficial. I was asked to edit and revise their five page annual winter newsletter. I than folded the more than 1,000 letters and sealed and labeled them to be mailed.  It was imperative that this task was done fast and efficiently seeing as it was getting to be in the heart of spring.  As you can see I had a wide variety of jobs and taks during my time at The Servant Center.
I believe that this experience working in the Advertising and Development sector of The Servant Center has been the most influential and greatest learning experiences I have had so far at college. Being able to get out of the class room and still learn an abundant amount of information was truly a rewarding experience and just what I needed as my college career is coming to an end. I learned many valuable things that I can take with me in to the workplace. My new found knowledge of how to use Constant Contact, Word Press, and eTapestry I believe will be most beneficial for me when putting it on my resume.  Being able to put my skill set in Constant Contact, Word Press, and eTapestry will surely improve my chances on being hired in the job search seeing as these are very valuable skills. Also, learning how important it is to have a good personal relationship with clients, funders, donators, and local businesses. I learned this while reading copies of thank you letters that had been mailed out. Emily explained to me the importance of acknowledging what a person, or business donated and how it would help build a strong relationship. All in all I believe I am ready to enter the work world because of this internship opportunity with The Servant Center. I learned so much and enjoyed myself as well.

New York Times - using your job skills in the nonprofit sector
article on why people are considering employment for government and the non-profit sector

Internship in the United States House of Representatives

Internship Location: The United States House of Representatives

Time period: Summer 2010

Student: Adam C. Brown

Congresswoman Velázquez, a democrat, is a Representative of the 12th Congressional District of New York (N.Y), Chair of the Committee on Small Business, Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and a senior member of the Financial Services Committee. This summer I interned for Congresswoman Velazquez and I worked in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill (Hill) in Washington D.C alongside thirteen interns. However, there were hundreds of interns working on the Hill, for either the United States Senate (Senate) or the House, and each person worked for one of 538 representatives in Congress.

Getting an internship on Capitol Hill is very difficult. When you apply for the internship, you're competing with thousands of students from all over the world. Therefore, it is essential to get the application in on time and to be recommended by someone who has previously interned in the office you are applying. The internship is very challenging, duties may require you to brief a hearing on a $600 million appropriation request, research legislation, or write questions for a hearing on intellectual property. It is essential to be able to research, have excellent writing skills, and work fast.

I enjoyed this internship because it granted flexibility to interns, by allowing interns to attend hearings and meetings of their interest. Therefore, the autonomy allowed me to assist counsels with projects rather than to be confined to the office exclusively answering the phone calls. As an aspiring attorney, my primary interest is in business law, for this reason I was eager to hear debates on the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Moreover, it was my pleasure to assist the Banking Counsel on a brief of amendments to the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010. In this internship one of my projects required me to create a forty-three page brief, which described eighty amendments contained in 200 pages of legislation. This brief was just one of many projects that I worked on.

If you are an aspiring attorney this is the dream internship. Capitol Hill is where the laws are made for the United States of America. I witnessed the greatest law makers and the greatest debates. The first hearing I attended was on the House Floor, the general public sat behind me because my internship identification authorized me to sit in the front row. Distinguished press- such as the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post- had assigned seating on the opposite side of the room, where they were accommodated with laptops, desks, and beverages. There were two high definition televisions- one hanging on the wall to my right and the other hanging on the wall to my left- hooked up to four CSPAN cameras- one to my right, one to my left, one in the front of me, and one behind me- all focusing on the center of the room. In the center of the room there were two long tables parallel to each other, on two separate aisles with chairs positioned so that the House members sitting at one table were facing the Senate members sitting at the other. Sitting were the senior members of the House Financial Services Committee and the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, both republicans, and democrats. At this meeting I witnessed debates by -Congressman Barney Frank, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Congressman Jeb Hensarling, Congressman Ron Paul, Senator Christopher Dodd, etc- on amendments to the most sweeping piece of financial legislation since the Great Depression.

In conclusion, if you're interested in-law, business, science, agriculture, technology, political science, and other politcal issues- working for the Committee on Small Business will be beneficial to your future. In all respects, this internship is as challenging as it is rewarding, the possibilities that come with this internship are endless...

Thinking ahead - upcoming internships

Some of the best internships require organizing materials and applying months in advance. Some internships with government, especially law enforcement and national security, require background checks that can take months. If you are a junior or senior, begin planning for an internship for next summer or one of your remaining academic semesters. Some things you might consider include:

North Carolina Government Internships:
Application deadline: 1/20/11
http://www.doa.nc.gov/yaio/interns.htm

http://www.technicianonline.com/features/nc-government-internships-give-students-real-world-experience-1.2273363

North Carolina General Assembly Legislative Internships

Deadline is usually late October for a full-time spring semester internship in Raleigh. For more information, see Dr. Klase and read Amanda Stanley's description of her experience in the blog entry below.

Court Administration Office, NC District Court

Internship Location: 18th District Superior Court Judges Chambers
Time period: August 2008 - November 2008

Student: Lynn Clark

The Superior Court Judges Chamber is a very professional, busy, and sometimes confusing place. Here you learn timeliness, reliability, confidentiality. When you walk into this environment you can feel a great sense of superiority, and importance. The Judges are not the only people of importance you become a very important part of the office. Your role as an intern is very important and contributes daily to the process of the office. In the chambers there are 4 resident Judges and up to 4 sometimes 5 visiting judges at a time. Each Judge is different and they all have serious positions. You have the responsibility of taking care of EACH and EVERY need of the Judges. The office also holds the Trial Court Administrator and the Trial Court Coordinator. You will also get involved in what they do and will also be asked to assist them from time to time. My internship at the Superior Court Judges Chambers was an excellent experience. I had the opportunity to learn all the professional Judicial Assistant duties within the Judges Chambers like how to set up the offices for visiting Judges, which are on a rotating schedule, the process of developing the court calendars, court dates, mediation assignments, pre-arranging consultations between Lawyers and Judges,arranging conference calls for Judges. I had the opportunity to proof read briefed cases provided to Judges by Attorneys and also decisions written by the Judges. This office handle only Superior Court cases, which are the most serious of cases. This is a great learning experience for future Attorneys. As a future Lawyer, you learn the paperwork process and the expectations the chambers have from the Attorney's in the cases, as far as the process, and the importance of getting the paperwork completed in a timely manner and correctly. This was an experience of a life time and I encourage all future Lawyer/Legal Assistant to think seriously about this internship. It is not a paid internship but it is a great opportunity and will have a tremendous impact on your future.
NC Court District 18

Private Practice Law and District Attorney's Office

Internship Location: Ott Cone & Redpath, P.A., and Guilford County District Attorney's Office 18th Judicial District (Both in Greensboro, NC)
Time period: Ott Cone & Redpath: December 2006 - July 2008, DA's Office: November 2007 - March 2008
Student: Parker Moore

When I was a junior at GC, it became apparent to me that I wanted to go to law school after graduation. Therefore, I decided, with a push from Dr. Klase, that it would be in my best interest to see what exactly lawyers do before spending (or borrowing) a bunch of money on a law degree. I got lucky and found a part-time office assistant position on GC's career services website with a small health law firm here in Greensboro. As a part of my job, I did normal clerical work, errand running, ordering supplies, etc. However, I also had a chance to work closely with various attorneys on a number of projects and got a real-life look at legal work. Working at Ott Cone & Redpath was really my first look into a legal career and it was a truly gratifying experience.

At the same time that I was working part-time at Ott Cone & Redpath and taking my classes at night, I interned with the Guilford County DA's Office in the mornings for a few months. The DA's office was the polar opposite of my other job, as I shadowed an Assistant District Attorney who was dealing with everything from drug felonies to murders. This was very interesting because I had an opportunity to help him prepare for a murder trial and even saw some of my old high school acquaintances who had gotten into trouble for one reason or another. I learned a lot of the intangibles here, such as how to deal with opposing attorneys, organizing case files, and time management.

The main point of my writing this post is to tell everyone who is even remotely considering going to law school to seek out a job or internship in the legal field before doing so. You may think you want to go to law school and you may think you will make a lot of money one day if you do. However, law school is hard and being happy in your occupation is more important than a BMW in the driveway. You should attempt to get a real-life look into the legal field and, when you do, talk to whoever you can about their law school experience. Law school is an investment and as such should not be taken lightly; you need to make sure it is really what you want before you commit to it. For your own sake, find an internship and make sure that it is for you. You cannot learn all you need to know by simply reading a book; you must experience things to complete your knowledge. By finding an internship, you become a more well-rounded candidate for acceptance into law school or getting a job in general.

Project Vote Smart

Internship Location: Project Vote Smart
Time period: May 2007 - July 2007 (10 weeks)
Student: Laurie Van Hall

Project Vote Smart, a non-partisan non-profit organization, provides people all over the country with information about their elected officials and government activities. Their website and hotline allow voters to access information ranging from state and federal bill summaries to biographical information about local, county, state and federal elected officials.

For 10 weeks I worked full time in their Philipsburg, MT office for the State Key Votes Department. My work consisted of keeping track of any legislation that received media attention in several states, and then summarizing this legislation and all actions on it, for online publication.

Although Project Vote Smart does not provide a stipend for their summer interns, they do provide free room and board for your entire stay in Montana. Interns arrive at varying times during the summer, and as many as 40 interns could be living on the Great Divide Ranch at any one time. I had one of the best experiences of my life at Project Vote Smart and made lifelong friends.

For more information visit the Project Vote Smart National Internship Program Website