The primary objective of my project is to alleviate the lives of others through participating in an internship where I am able to gain first hand knowledge to better understand how a non-profit is able to provide various resources to vulnerable populations. Through my internship with the St. Francis Center, a community center in downtown Los Angeles, I observed how employees of the organization provided assistance to these individuals. This is important due to the fact that as the next generation, it will provide me with a better insight to the needs of these individuals in order to be a better advocate for them. The St. Francis Center focuses on providing food services through a breakfast program for the homeless and a pantry program for low-income individuals and families. As the summer resource intern, I worked directly with guests to connect them with various resources. This included providing them with clothing, and hygiene items as well as connecting them with shelter, housing, medical clinics, and rehab centers. As I was conducting research, I would create and update the resource guides in order for the guests to have up to date information. A majority of the individuals I met were eager to receive assistance and utilized our resources.
