This summer, Loaves & Fishes welcomed Morrel Francis to the team to learn about the different facets of a non-profit organization. Morrel, who is now a senior at Naperville North High School, was an eager student and provided excellent feedback and insight as he worked with staff. We are excited to see what the future holds for Morrel, because this mature, intelligent young leader is sure to make a name for himself in whatever field he pursues. Here is what Morrel had to say about his experience at Loaves & Fishes:
I knew even before my junior year ended that I wanted to do something over the summer that would be interesting and give me practical experience. I started asking around my high school for local internships in Naperville. At first I didn’t have much luck, but eventually I got an offer from the CTE director at my school about an opportunity at Loaves & Fishes. I had heard the name before but I was not sure what they did. I looked up the organization and decided that this would be an experience I could get a lot out of, so I contacted Megan Selck, the Vice President and Chief Development Officer, and we arranged to meet at Loaves & Fishes’ annual Day Without Hunger event. When my dad and I arrived at the event, both of us were very impressed with how well organized it was and how much there was to do. We met with Megan and Shelly (the Director of Volunteer Engagement) and arranged a date when I could start interning.
On my first day at Loaves & Fishes, I got the opportunity to sit in on a meeting with the board of directors about expanding Loaves & Fishes into other communities. This was just one of the amazing experiences I had while interning. I also got to volunteer in distribution and give food to clients. While I was working in the warehouse with Alan and Cary, I sorted bread, meat, and vegetables, I took inventory of donated foods, and I was able to ride in a semi-truck to visit one of the stores that donates food to Loaves & Fishes.
When I wasn’t working in the warehouse, I was working with the staff responsible for marketing, management, empowerment programs, or development. While working with them, I researched new places that Loaves & Fishes could expand to, thought of new programs for clients, and helped improve how Loaves & Fishes uses social media. By the time my summer ended, I had gained hands-on experience in marketing, finance, operations, volunteering, project development, empowerment programs, and executive management.
When I think about my future I know that the experiences I had at Loaves & Fishes will be beneficial no matter what field I decide to go into. While I was at Loaves & Fishes, I had the opportunity to watch someone else give a professional interview, and I looked over the 2014-2015 financial statement. It gave me a better understanding of the organization. The experiences I had at Loaves & Fishes were amazing not only because of what I learned, but also because of the awesome people I was able to meet. I will never forget my time here.