Week 13

I cannot believe that I only have two more weeks of my internship left. I remember the first day I started. I thought that 300 hours would be so much to do. However, now I am down to my last hours, and I am wondering where the time went. I have met some really wonderful people through this internship, and I consider this the biggest blessing. I have also learned a lot from this experience.

I am so thankful that I have been able to experience working with a nonprofit organization. Working with a nonprofit organization is very different from working with any of my other jobs. In a nonprofit environment, it is based upon humility. The employees are serving others, which creates an environment of love and sincerity. In addition, the organization is formed from the volunteers for the program. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida cannot function without the wonderful volunteers. It has been so humbling to watch the volunteers interact with their littles and see the impact that is being made on the children. I truly believe in the mission of this organization and know that it is doing great things for Pensacola. I am so inspired by this organization, I now want to become a volunteer and become a big sister for a child in Pensacola.

Week 12

This week we had a staff meeting. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida is over Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay counties. All the employees came to the Pensacola office to have a meeting and discuss office matters. It was really interesting to have all the employees together in one place. Each employee had their own individual ideas about how to better the program. The individuality of each idea showed the unique talents and skills each member offers to the program to make it function.

In addition, having this meeting brought a sense of unity to the office. Many times I have done tasks for the other offices, but I have never met the workers before. This was the first time I have met some of the members from the other offices. It was really nice to be able to have all the employees in one place. After the meeting, we had a mini Thanksgiving lunch. We ate and laughed and had a great time. It was nice being able to feel the unity and bond with all the employees at one time.

Week 11

I was fortunate enough this week to help with an event called Kabuki. The event was located in Destin, Florida at Osaka Japanese Steakhouse. The purpose of the event was to raise funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters. The event did this by three ways. First, businesses paid a fee to attend the event. Second, while at the event a predetermined member became a chef for the night and earned tips at the table. Each table was competing to see who could earn the most tips. Third, a silent auction collected funds by individuals bidding on donated items. The event was held not only for funds but also for entertainment. Each table dressed up with different themes and awards were presented for different merits, such as the chef who struggled the most.

While at my internship, I was tasked with calling and emailing businesses to ask for donations for the silent auction. After the businesses donated the items, I was then tasked with writing descriptions for the items to be put on display at the silent auction. On the night of the event, I helped by waiting on tables and assisting with the silent auction. At the end of the silent auction, an intoxicated bidder became upset when she did not win her prize. I got to see how one handles a confrontation in that scerio. My advisor did a great job calming her down. Overall, Kabuki was a great learning experience and a lot of fun. 

 

Week 10

This week at my internship I did the final edits for the annual report. It is almost ready to be printed, and I cannot be more excited. In addition to working on the annual report, I updated the social media sites, decorated marketing materials, and filed. I worked with Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel to organize and track different subjects for upcoming events. I also filed papers into corresponding binders and file folders.

I am learning at my internship the importance of staying organized. Without organization, things can become confusing and overlap. Although it takes time to keep things organized, it will actually save a lot of time in the long run. In addition, being organized helps others out when they are seeking certain information or materials.