Campus Compact and Tyson Foods announced the nonprofit organizations that were selected for the 2019 Summer Community Internship Program. Grantees will receive funding to support a full-time college student summer intern. This is the second year of this program, which provides a valuable opportunity for college students to gain professional experience in nonprofits while making a positive impact in local communities.  Illinois Campus Compact selected 20 organizations throughout the Chicagoland Area to receive one intern for the summer.  Below is a list of the organizations and a description of the intern position. 

Illinois Tyson Grantees

Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry: The mission of Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry is to help end local hunger by ensuring that everyone has access to enough nourishing food, thereby helping our overall community stay healthy and productive. Today, Aurora Food Pantry is one of the largest food pantries in northern Illinois, distributing 3.6 million pounds of food each year to 19,000 unique individuals. They ensure access to nourishing for by offering weekly distributions, senior mobile pantries, and a veterans pantry.  

About the Internship: The Development and Communications Intern will help the organization implement a  2019 development plan in order to retain donors and volunteers, acquire new donors and strategically tell client’s stories. The intern will do this by establishing an online “Resource Development Committee” handbook with links to frequently used materials, managing social media posts, and meeting with other organizations to develop relationships.           

BEDS Plus Care: BEDS PLUS Care’s mission is to help vulnerable individuals stabilize their lives through housing and supportive services. Since 1988, BEDS PLUS has given the homeless a safe place to sleep, hot homemade meals, professional counseling, and the job services they need to become self-sufficient.

About the Internship: The Summer intern supervise and assist Volunteer Coordinators in implementation of lunch and dinner programs at support centers and shelters. Research and develop new meal programs with food pantries and other established food resources for our Supportive Permanent Housing Clients and Housed Clients. Additional workload may vary depending on the expertise of the applicant.

Breakthrough Urban Ministries: Breakthrough’s mission is to partner with those affected by poverty to build connections, develop skills, and open doors of opportunity. Breakthrough’s work is guided by four strategic goals: (1) provide innovative and robust programs with individuals and families, (2) expand and formalize community-wide enrichment initiatives, (3) ensure well-equipped people and infrastructure, and (4) create evidence based, replicable framework.Breakthrough believes that pursuing these goals will help to create a safe,stable, and engaged East Garfield Park community.

About the Internship: The Fresh Market Intern will provide critical support in the daily operations within the Breakthrough Fresh Market –a client-choice food pantry –that serves over 4,000 food insecure families annually. They will build relationships with food insecure community residents and connect clients with resources while reinforcing volunteer engagement at the food pantry.

Chicago World Relief: Established in 1980, World Relief Chicago (WRC) has assisted in the resettlement of over 15,000 refugees. We work in close collaboration with community partners and volunteers to come alongside refugees and immigrants on their journey through cultural adjustment with the goal of assisting refugees in becoming self-sufficient in the United States.

About the Internship: The Refugee Resettlement and Employment Associate will assist World Relief Chicago in its goals of developing adult education and employment resources for recently arrived refugees. The intern will research local resources available for refugees as well as work directly with clients to assist them through the employment process.

Erie Neighborhood House: Erie Neighborhood House’s mission is to promote a just and inclusive society by strengthening low-income, primarily Latino families through skill-building, access to critical resources, advocacy and collaborative action.

About the Internship: The development and program intern will 1) assist with data entry, donation acknowledgement, and reporting; 2) maximize fundraising efforts through prospect research and program event management. The Program Assistant will help us strengthen and expand our health and nutrition programming.

Greater Chicago Food Depository: The Greater Chicago Food Depository is Chicago’s food bank. We provide food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in our community. They do this in partnership with 700 agencies and programs including pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and responses for children, older adults and veterans. This network distributes food where it is needed most throughout Cook County. Since 1979, the Food Depository has made a daily impact on hunger across Cook County. Last year, the Food Depository distributed nearly 70 million pounds of food, 38% of which was fresh produce. Every day we distribute the equivalent of 159,000 meals.

About the Internship: The Partner Engagement Intern will work closely with the GCFD Community Impact team to engage with the Food Depository’s network of hunger relief partners throughout Cook County—more than 700 pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and community programs that provide food access and increased resources for economic stability to community members in need. The intern will empower these partners and build their capacity to better serve individuals and families experiencing hunger and food insecurity.This role will provide support to existing partners and work collaboratively within the GCFD Community Impact team to ensure support and the ongoing development of all partners through meaningful engagement, training, on-site consultation and connection to resources.  

Growing Home: Growing Home is an innovative urban agriculture social enterprise.Growing Home’s mission is to operate, promote, and demonstrate the use of organic agriculture as a vehicle for job training, employment, and community development, and we have been farming and training for over 10 years in Englewood, a neighborhood in Chicago.

About the Internship: The Community Engagement Intern will work on the Community Engagement team, focusing on assisting in ongoing projects of the department including but not limited to: weekly cooking demonstrations, a learning garden to engage K-12 youth, leading tours, and tabling and other outreach events throughout the community. The intern will assist the Community Engagement department to open the farm and resources up to a wide array of communities. This includes neighbors and the Greater Englewood community, service organizations,universities, and those interested in urban farming and job training from across the city, country, and world. Growing Home also aims to engage the community outside the farm through tabling, school and community garden consultations, and speaking engagements.

Illinois Hunger Coalition: The Illinois Hunger Coalition seeks to alleviate and end hunger and the underlying causes through community organizing, advocating for progressive public policies, and public education.

About the Internship: The Summer Food Service Program Intern will work to increase the number of Summer Meal sites and the utilization of existing sites to feed more children in Illinois over the summer months. The intern will also assist with media outreach and data collection efforts.

Just Roots Chicago: Just Roots is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization creating pathways that empower people in food insecure communities to access local, sustainably grown food. They carry out our mission through education, sustainable farming, and community building.  They facilitate on-site educational programming for individuals and groups interested in developing farming/gardening skills and experiential knowledge about making food choices that are good for their community and the environment. They provide fresh vegetables for people living in food insecure communities through our partnerships with food pantries, soup kitchens, churches, and other organizations. Inspired by the Lasallian mission, they are intentional about building meaningful, collaborative relationships with community partners and with the people in communities that they serve.

About the Internship: The student intern will be an integral part of the process of planting, maintenance, and harvesting of all crops during the growing season. The student will be given opportunities to work with and supervise volunteer groups ranging in size from 5-20 and ages from middle school to adults. The student will also be engaged with various community partners at soup kitchens, food pantries, and churches to provide donations of produce. There will also be opportunities to meet with new community partners to forge new relationships.

La Casa Norte: La Casa Norte’s mission is to serve youth and families confronting homelessness, we provide access to stable housing and deliver comprehensive services that act as a catalyst to transform lives and communities. La Casa Norte dreams of a world where all people have dignity, communities thrive and everyone belongs. In 2018, they will open the doors on a new $20 million dollar project, the first of it’s kind in Chicago. This housing and community center will include a nutrition center with food pantry, community cafe and teaching kitchen, a healthcare clinic, a drop-in space for youth, as well as 25 units of affordable housing.

About the Internship: The Nutrition Center Intern will contribute to the expansion of La Casa Norte’s Nutrition Center programs, including the Food Pantry, Hot Meal Program, and Nutrition Education. They will work with the Community Engagement Coordinator and Nutrition Center Assistant to identify opportunities for expanding Nutrition Center community outreach initiatives and programs.
They will also engage directly with underserved community members during food program hours at La Casa Norte’s Nutrition Center.

Lakeview Pantry: One of Chicago’s largest and longest-operating food pantries, Lakeview Pantry’s mission is to eliminate hunger and poverty in our community by providing food to fill the basic need of hungry people; increasing the independence of their clients through self-help initiatives and other innovative programs; and raising awareness of hunger and poverty and working towards solutions to eliminate them. Their vision is to be a stable presence in the communities they serve, and to be a model of compassionate, effective, and collaborative service delivery by building upon their Food Distribution excellence, achieving Client Services excellence, and building capacity and strengthening their ability to carry out their mission.

About the Internship: The Volunteer Program Intern will help with increasing the Lakeview Panty’s capacity to help their clients receive emergency food assistance. Lakeview Pantry’s strategic goals are to serve more clients over the next five years. Their client base is expected to grow about 20% over each year. With the increase in clients, more help is needed to meet client demand, support their volunteer corps, and spread the word about hunger on Chicago’s northside. The Volunteer Program intern will increase volunteer engagement to meet client needs.

NIU Communiversity Garden: The CommUniversity Gardens seek to improve agricultural literacy by increasing access to education about sustainable farming practices and the importance of local food production.

About the Internship: This internship position will oversee development of the growing partnership with the NIU Huskie Food Pantry and plan efforts to ensure volunteer opportunities for students, campus staff, and community residents. The intern will also share responsibility for coordinating campus and community participation in the gardens and pantry through several outreach efforts, assisting with gathering volunteer participation and harvest data and assessment,and contributing to literature review for grant applications

Northern Illinois Food Bank: The Northern Illinois Food Bank aims to lead the Northern Illinois community in solving hunger by providing nutritious meals to those in need through innovative programs and partnerships.

About the Internship: The student intern will continue to develop a database of information about elected officials that will both inform the advocacy agenda and help track meaningful interactions with elected officials. During their eight weeks at the Food Bank, the intern will improve the Food Bank’s ability to execute effective outreach to elected officials who serve residents of the Food Bank’s service area.  The student intern will also assist staff with tasks related to internal and external communications for the Food Bank, learning how to craft messaging to accomplish organizational goals and support accountability within the Food Bank. The intern will also contribute to research of direct-to-client marketing initiatives within the Food Bank’s network of agencies and organizations.

Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry: Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry’s mission is to harness the power of communities to end hunger. To help guide this work, they have joined the Hunger Free Communities Network, a collective impact organization formed out of the USDA.  This network provides not only a theoretical grounding in research and data, but critical tools and models for program development, assessment and coalition building. Several network partners focus on child hunger, attempting to close the meal gap by maximizing kids’ participation in federal meals programs.  Connecting more children to federally funded Summer Meals is one such path.

About the Internship: The Summer Meals intern will help increase the number of children receiving free summer meals by increasing repeat visits to Meet Up & Eat Up (the open Summer Meals site). They will help ensure future program growth in all Summer Meals sites by developing a system for obtaining feedback from children, their parents, and teachers.

People’s Resource Center: People’s Resource Center community exists to respond to basic human needs, promote dignity and justice, and create a future of hope and opportunity for the residents of DuPage County, Illinois through discovering and sharing personal and community resources.

About the Internship: The programs intern will create comprehensive learning experiences for a student with an interest in social services or public health that will equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in the sector. The intern will help to evaluate PRC food programs by analyzing qualitative and quantitative program data to determine impact on outcomes and behavior changes. They  will continue to foster relationships with key partners by being involved in community events and attending internal and external meetings.

Seven Generations Ahead: Founded in 2001, Seven Generations Ahead’s mission is to promote the development of ecologically sustainable and healthy communities. SGA works with local government, community and private sector leaders to help communities make the changes they need to create a healthy and sustainable future.

About the Internship: The intern will work to further expand the knowledge and infrastructure of the Wasted Food Solutions. Intern will be a critical component in expanding the reach and understanding of the importance of eating local and healthy foods, using food surplus wisely as well as the importance of food scraps and waste in creating healthy soil and more nutritious crops.

St. Leonard’s Ministries: St. Leonard’s Ministries provides comprehensive residential, case management, and employment services for those released from prison without resources needed to rebuild their lives.

About the Internship: The intern will participate in education programs for formerly incarcerated adults to prevent recidivism. The intern will also play a key role in furthering the development of  fundraising and communications initiatives for St. Leonard’s Ministries. By developing and implementing new communications strategies, the Tyson Summer Intern will help the campaign against recidivism be seen as vital to the public interest.

The Gads Hill Center: Since 1898, Gads Hill Center creates opportunities for children and their families to build a better life through education, access to resources and community engagement.

About the Internship: The Community Health Intern will help bolster recruitment for the Healthy Moves program, which gives isolated Latino communities access to critical health and nutrition education and other resource, such as linking families to public benefits. In addition, the Community Health Intern will strengthen partnerships with PlayStreet community based organizations and community resources in efforts to promote safe physical play for Chicago residents in the North and West service regions.

The HANA Center: Launched in February 2017, HANA Center is a merger of Korean AmericanCommunity Services (KACS, founded 1972) and Korean American Resource and Cultural Center (KRCC, founded 1995). HANA is the culmination of a vision held by key stakeholders of KRCC and KACS. These leaders recognized the great potential of establishing a single,united organization that combined KACS’ history of responding to the critical needs of the Korean American and local resident communities and KRCC’s track record of powerful community organizing, advocacy, and celebration of cultural heritage.

About the Internship: The purpose of the Job Developer Intern position is to understand the  community’s needs, build effective, long-lasting, and mutually beneficial employer relationships in order to close the multi-generational wealth equity gap for traditionally marginalized community members, including womXn, immigrants, and people of color. Further, the position will work to shift the dynamics and understanding of the communities of limited English-speakers, participants with limited work-experience, and immigrant workers n the economy by using a strengths-based approach and advocate for their just treatment.b.The employee will work to both understand the participant’s previous working environment and hold employer partners accountable for just treatment of workers.

The Talking Farm: The Talking Farm embodies the long-term commitment to sustainable green development and preservation of open spaces in an urban environment. Their mission is to provide education, example and hands on experience to members of the community to expand the awareness, importance, and availability of food grown sustainably.

About the Internship: The intern will learn more about and participate in sustainable urban agriculture. They will experience all the tasks associated with the daily operations of a diversified production vegetable farm.  The intern will gain a solid understanding of crop planting, crop care,
The Talking Farm2harvesting, hoop house management, disease/pest management and volunteer management. The farm educator intern will also work with The Talking Farm farmer-educators to create lessons and teach food growing to our neighbors on the farm site, the Skokie Park District’s Tot Learning Center (TLC), engaging the children in age-appropriate topics of sustainable urban agriculture.These lessons will form the basis for an enhanced educational offering to young children.