It’s another busy season at HomeAid Northern Virginia, with five interns on staff to help manage the always-busy workload and coordinate many events and initiatives.
Communications Coordinator
Natalie Thompson, 2014 graduate from Clarion University, with a degree in communications and concentration in public relations
“I’ve always been interested in helping in the community, and HomeAid does great work and has a huge impact on the Northern Virginia region. I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a charitable organization, and I’ve learned a great deal about what goes into running a non-profit organization. I’ve had hands-on experience at organizing events, communicating directly to the public and promoting events through social media. Everything I’ve learned at HomeAid, I’ll be able to carry on into my future career in communications.”
Events Coordinator
Nina Sader, a senior majoring in tourism and events management at George Mason University
“HomeAid is very involved with the community and with helping less fortunate families and individuals, and I enjoy the idea of not only gaining a learning experience, but also helping others in Northern Virginia. I was surprised to learn how many children are homeless and how many people are suffering and living on the streets and in their cars. So far, I have learned many different tasks that contribute to putting together events, and I have had the opportunity to meet many wonderful people!”
Fundraising Coordinator
Kaley Duncan, rising senior at Virginia Tech with double major in public relations and psychology
“Homelessness is a huge issue in the U.S., and I think a lot of people ignore homelessness and write the homeless off as lazy. Instead, I’ve learned from HomeAid of the surprising number of homeless children, and of the struggles that many homeless people face in their daily lives that prevent them from bettering their situations. HomeAid brings hope, in the form of a new start, and it’s been a great experience for me. I’ve learned too that running a nonprofit takes a lot of work and dedication, and you have to be well-rounded because you end up doing a little bit of everything!”
Marketing Coordinator
Alanna Whearley, a senior majoring in information systems with a concentration in web development at Radford University
“I wanted to intern at HomeAid because I saw that it would be a great opportunity for me to use my design skills to help market HomeAid’s work. I really enjoy helping people, and I’ve learned that more people than I realized are either homeless or do not have a structured place to live. I’ve learned a lot about how HomeAid helps people get back on their feet and what it takes to decrease homelessness.”
Women Giving Back Coordinator Lindsey Johnston, studying pre-commerce (applying to business school) at the University of Virginia
“During high school and my first year of college, I became involved in working with the homeless, so an internship with HomeAid is the perfect fit: It combines what I want to do in the future with something in which I am interested. I’ve since learned other ways I can help those affected by homelessness; it didn’t occur to me, for example, that women need professional clothing suitable for the workplace. The Women Giving Back program does just that: collects clothing for women entering the workplace and their children.”
HomeAid Northern Virginia has regular openings for interns in a variety of positions. Job descriptions can be found online. To apply, send a cover letter and resume to info@homeaidncr.org.