FIND Food Bank paves the way for interns to learn behind-the-scenes work
FIND Food Bank is offering internships for college students to learn what it takes to run a non-profit all while helping members of the community with the food bank's services.
By offering internships at the food bank, Debbie Espinosa, FIND Food Bank's CEO/President said, "It allows us to help develop job skills and workforce development skills while teaching people about hunger in our community and in this space."
For up to six weeks to a year, interns help out in the community, while learning the inner workings of the nonprofit.
“For us having these interns coming in and helping us out not only lets us fulfill the volunteer space but it also helps us with regards to growing our ending hunger for a lifetime work, their ability to be able to develop their job skills, their job training, and get them stabilized within the workforce,” said Espinosa.
For Annik Damien, a former food bank intern and junior at the University of California Irvine, interning at the FIND Food Bank helped her get a better understanding of what it's like to run a non-profit.
Damien said her ultimate goal is to become a physician's assistant and work at a nonprofit clinic that offers affordable healthcare services. With her internship, she was able to get a step closer to her goal.
During the pandemic the number of mouths for the food bank to help feed increased by thousands. As the state slowly pulls back the National Guard from continuing its help within food banks across California, the need for volunteers and interns is growing.
Espinosa urges those who are interested to reach out and learn more about the food bank's mission to end hunger as well as the various internship opportunities it has to offer.
