Research/Internship Reflections

What are the key questions being addressed by the research/organization for which you worked and why are they important?
During my internship, I will be analyzing the organizational arena in which the Florida Baptist Children’s Homes operates in order to develop an internship program for 2010 and develop new communication avenues by utilizing the internet. These projects are important in order to keep the Florida Baptist Children’s Homes up-to-date on technology. Furthermore, I will be interacting with the children they serve, both in Florida and internationally. This aspect of the internship is important because it is rewarding and is something I am passionate about.

What activities will you complete in order to fulfill these objectives?
In order to fulfill my internship objectives, I will completed the following tasks:

• Development of an Internship program for 2010
  1. Development of the program and all documentation needed for an effective program
  2. Time line for the program
  3. All communications for the program
• Writing journalistic publications and other communication tools for the web site
• Technology Project
  1. Research and develop new communication avenues
  2. Blogging design and development
  3. Implementing the use of Facebook
• Provide support of various office tasks
• Help in tracking and supporting Mission Backpack, a school supply and backpack drive for disadvantaged and orphaned children in Florida and around the world
• Develop an awards program to recognize grassroots organizations in Florida
• Be in a commercial for Florida Baptist Children’s Homes annual Mother’s Day Offering fundraiser
• Travel on three mission trips during the internship and participate in the Florida Baptist Children’s Homes annual summer camp, Camp of Champions
  1. May 16-23, 2009 to Guatemala
  2. June 16-19 Camp of Champions in Florida
  3. June 22-28, 2009 to Honduras
  4. August 1-8, 2009 to Guatemala

What did you learn about the population/clients served by this organization? Discuss the potential impact – positive or negative – of the work you performed/observed on a particular population.

Working with the FBCH provided me with the opportunity to interact with a variety of populations that the organization serves. In the US, work is mainly targeted to serving children living in the children’s home, whether this entails fundraising, donor relations, or direct services for the children. By interacting with the children at summer camp, I learned that they were not afraid to talk about when they last saw family members, about their father losing his job, or their life at the children’s home. However, they did not want to openly discuss the scary struggles behind being taken from their homes due to abuse or neglect. I learned that these children need a reestablished sense of structure. It is important for them to know when their next meal will be, to feel safe and secure in a bathroom, and to be rewarded for undertaking assigned responsibilities. The social workers and house parents who interact the most with the children informed me of these needs, which result from living in a broken home. Although it is desirable for children to be able to live with their parents or other family members, often this is not a good situation for the children. By working at the summer camp with the children, I saw the positive impact that a stable environment has on children. For instance, one girl in 11^th grade eagerly spoke to me about her dreams of going to law school. She wanted to hear about my experience at college, and why I am passionate about working with nonprofit organizations. Other children were filled with hope due to a new found spirituality in going to church and Bible studies. Furthermore, the house parents have rules for the children, but they try to teach the children that these boundaries are not restrictive but are for protection, preventing children from rebelling.

On an international front, the FBCH serves children in malnutrition centers and orphanages in Guatemala, Honduras, Russia, and Romania. Each of the children in these countries has different needs, since each comes from various cultures and backgrounds. By directly serving children in Guatemala and Honduras, I learned that it is very common for families to have up to ten children. Therefore, in serving the children and trying to nurse them back to health, it is just as important to serve the families of the children. Teaching proper dental care, hygiene, and birth control can help prevent families from having too many children that they do not have the means to care for. However, I learned that rather than directly stating changes that families need to make, they learn more by example. For instance, instead of explaining all of the reasons why Americans give their children baths each day, Guatemalan caretakers in the malnutrition center did not start giving regular baths to the babies until they saw us washing them every day. I learned that it is much better to serve through example than coming in as an American who knows everything.