Rav the Intern
She’s a UFV student in a Global Development Studies class. She came to us looking for experience in working with a non-profit. We were happy to meet her expectations with a whammy of real life experience.
In this blog, Rav explains in her own words her experience of interning for the Food Bank and how being on the asking end of fundraising can feel.
This semester I was given the amazing opportunity to intern at the Abbotsford Food Bank! Going into this internship I thought I would be generically researching on ways to get individuals to donate and that I would be occasionally handing out food to the Food Bank guests. I also imagined that the Food Bank would be completely comprised of food and possibly monetary donations. Well boy, was I ever wrong!
“I also imagined that the Food Bank would be completely comprised of food and possibly monetary donations.
Well boy, was I ever wrong!”
I learned that the Abbotsford Food Bank receives less than 2% of its funding from the government! This was a shock to me. They depend on monetary, food, and service donations to operate. I thought for sure that the government paid for this service! They also do a lot more than hand out hampers too. The Food Bank offers: free dental care, kids’ sports camps and afterschool activities, fresh seasonal produce, special Christmas hampers, high protein hampers for those with HIV/AIDS, basic baby supplies, emergency hampers and runs the Starfish Pack Program which feeds more than 200 children in Abbotsford. After discovering all that the Food Bank does to help our community I felt so honoured to be apart of this team and was amazed by all that they do.
I began my research on how millennials like to give, and the best peer-to-peer fundraising strategies. Peer to Peer fundraising is a fancy term that means I’m fundraising for the cause I care about by asking my friends to support me. Upon completing this research I felt inspired to put my research into practice and start my own fundraiser for the Food Bank. I love everything the Food Bank stands for and could think of no better way of showing my support.
“I was surprised when asking for money was a vulnerable experience and harder than I expected.
I ran a fundraiser for 30 days with a goal of raising $1,000. I have to admit, going into the fundraiser I thought it would be an easy task. I was surprised when asking for money was a vulnerable experience and harder than I expected. Shockingly I was able to raise $1,250. I was truly blessed by the generosity and compassion of my donors. I was astonished to see how supportive those in my network were, and thankful they answered the call. In addition to fundraising, I also had a chance to see what it was like to be a part of the everyday distribution of food hampers. Making and handing out hampers shoulder to shoulder with other volunteers was truly a rewarding experience! I am sad to leave the Food Bank but will cherish all the memories and things I have learned here.
We are so thankful for your willingness to share your perspective and experience openly. We are so glad to hear how much you have learned and achieved while you were here. We look forward to seeing your positive impact on Abbotsford in the future. – Rebecca & Food Bank Team
