Some of our interns at a staff meeting

If you’ve been up to CEF recently, you may have noticed several new regulars in the office. In late May, the Community Empowerment Fund of both Chapel Hill and Durham gained several eager and well-qualified summer interns!

What do these interns do you may ask? By day (aka office hours), we work as Advocates: meeting with members, confirming appointments, and doing whatever the lovely admin staff needs doing around the office. We also have been bestowed with special administrative powers on Salesforce.

After our office hours, the transformation occurs. We change into our nylon super suits, and tap into our stores of reserve energy, unique powers and specialties. We tackle projects and special tasks in various areas of CEF in order to improve our operations and services to the people of Chapel Hill and Durham.

I tracked these interns down and managed to get a quick word with each about what they are doing here this summer. So without further ado, I present…

The 2014 Summer Interns of the Community Empowerment Fund in Chapel Hill

Priya Sreenivasan, Employment Specialist Intern:

A big, bad senior at UNC, Priya is majoring in Psychology and minoring in SEJ. (For those of us who don’t know the lingo, SEJ is short for Social and Economic Justice)

What brought you up the stairs of Mount 133 ½ Franklin to CEF?

I always felt a disconnect between going to UNC and not knowing anything about Chapel Hill- a community which I was supposed to be a part of. I was tired of walking past people on Franklin Street acting like I didn’t see them asking for money- I wanted to engage with people outside of the UNC bubble- the people who really make up Chapel Hill!

What is your Special Mission this summer?

I will be working on a guide for advocates on how to best look for jobs, and also will be working with the Job Partners program to find new employees and recruit more qualified members. I want to create easy-to-use guides about finding employment, and help expand the Job Partners program!

Jillian McMahon, Finance Specialist Intern:

Jill co-reigns with Priya as a UNC senior. She is majoring in Public Policy.

How did you find CEF and become involved?

My friend Emerson Rhudy has been involved with CEF for a while, she always spoke highly of the people/work so I thought I’d give it a try!

What is your Special Mission this summer?

I am an intern through the UNC APPLES program. I’m working on the savings aspect of CEF, this includes (but not limited to) connecting members to more savings resources, adapting the curriculums for opportunity classes, and editing savings training materials for new advocates!

Omar Kashef, Housing Specialist Intern:

Omar is the eldest intern, freshly graduated from UNC, he will begin his pursuit of a Masters of Public Administration come August.

What brought you to CEF?

When I first heard about CEF I quickly became intrigued at the prospect of an organization operating under the notion of a human right to finance. I became an Advocate in January and have loved coming into CEF since.

What is your Special Mission this summer?

In addition to staffing office hours with many of the appointments related to housing, I will be collaborating with a great group of people with the Housing Task Force to create a navigable guide to housing resources for Advocates and Members. This will include creating a continually updated database regarding available housing in the area and keeping tabs on recently housed members. Moreover, I am looking to help create and facilitate trainings on Housing and Institutional Oppression for Advocates.

Lucy Manning, Development and Communications Intern:

Lucy will be a sophomore at UNC, and is majoring in Journalism with a concentration in editing and graphic design.

How did you hear about CEF?

I heard about CEF this past year from a few different friends that all spoke very highly of it, and decided to check it out. I was really drawn to the uniqueness of CEF’s programs and the volunteer roles they provided for students. I also really appreciated the office and work environment: there is so much going on at all times, but it is also very laid-back and there is definitely room for fun and laughter.

What is your Special Mission this summer?

On the Development side, I get to assist Maggie in writing grant proposals for organization funds. On the Communications side, I manage the newsletter and blog posts for the CEF website.