Learning Beyond the Classroom with Chapin School Interns

The girls kicked their week off in true God’s Love fashion: with a volunteer shift in the Kitchen! They scooped veggies and plated pollock alongside other groups of dedicated volunteers and our talented team of professional chefs. This hands-on experience was a great way to get immersed in our work – after all, cooking is at the heart of what we’re all about!

The interns took an in-depth tour of our entire facility, learning about our inception 40 years ago and the many lives we’ve touched along the way. As we took a close look at the many processes which make up our workflows, on intern remarked:

“…it was really incredible learning about how many lives God’s Love has impacted, and how many people and jobs contribute to that.”

On Tuesday, equipped with their new knowledge about our work, the cohort met with Lisa Zullig, RDN, our Director of Nutrition Services. Lisa’s department is responsible for developing meal plans and educational tools to support clients’ nutritional needs at every step of the way. The interns developed marketing materials to help promote awareness around one of our newest nutritional programs, Healthy Starts, which supports parents and children affected by gestational diabetes.

On Wednesday the interns sat down with John Battista, Process Improvement Manager. God’s Love We Deliver is always working on building efficient, client-centered solutions to our operational scaffolding, and we know collaboration is key. The girls developed a proposal to solve an operational tangle that John’s department is working on, impressing our team with the innovative ideas they brought to the table.

We took a break from the strategy work to embark on a midday meal delivery. Initially nervous, the girls soon realized that doing a walking delivery can be a lot of fun!

“I really enjoyed the walking delivery we did! I thought it was really cool to see how many people volunteer to deliver on a daily basis and see the many roles people take on to help better serve the patients. Whether that be the kitchen staff, caregivers who pick up the food, or the volunteers themselves, I thought it was a super memorable moment to be able to deliver a meal.”

Thursday was our last day together, and we made the time count! The girls met with Alex Gilkey, Communications Content Associate, to learn about the many considerations that build our trusted brand and spread the word about our life-saving work. We took a stroll down memory lane as they worked through our archival newsletters to discover stories from our 40-year history.

Camila Gomez, Manager, Policy & Advocacy, stopped in to share some wisdom about her work as an advocate for our work in the political arena. Our interns took a keen interest in the many ways God’s Love is leading the conversation on Food is Medicine in the public sphere.

As the week came to a close, the interns had a chance to reflect on all that they’d learned:

“I didn’t know there were so many pieces to the puzzle. From the philanthropy team, strategic operations team, and marketing team to the volunteers, drivers, and nutritionists, everyone has a role here to help the patients and community thrive.”

“I think that I’ve really learned more about the importance and value of giving back to others in your community. I’m very excited to pursue more service opportunities like this in college and beyond.”

When asked if they had anything to share with young people considering being involved with God’s Love, the interns had this to say:

“I think God’s Love We Deliver is an incredible organization, and you should definitely get involved however you can, whether it’s working in the kitchen or joining the new teen leadership council. Every bit of help is so important, no matter how small it may seem to you.”

“Working with God’s Love We Deliver offers many avenues for all kinds of people to make an impact, so I would tell those people to be eager and to not take these opportunities for granted.”

“Definitely get involved! This has been one of the best experiences I have ever had. From volunteering in the kitchen and doing a walking delivery, to strategizing with my peers and learning from staff in the marketing and strategic operations teams, I learned things I doubt I could learn at other places”

Are you a high schooler who’d like to get meaningfully involved with God’s Love We Deliver, helping to drive strategy and acting as an ambassador for our work? Apply to join the Young Hearts Leadership Council!

To our interns, we are so grateful for the time, dedication, and love that you brought to all your activities with us. Your futures are bright!

 

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