Intern Jobs in Austin, TX

Community Empowerment Volunteer Intern

Scope & Purpose

Empowerment Interns assist team leadership with various tasks in multiple areas, including volunteer engagement, truck ministry operations, and general communication support for the Volunteer Team. The right candidate is a people-oriented, mission-driven student with strong organizational and communication skills, a servant's heart, and the confidence to lead. This is a hands-on, dynamic role where no two days look the same!

This is a part-time, non-exempt internship position working within the Empowerment Team and primarily reporting to the Faith Partnerships Steward. Due to the nature and requirements of the position, hours are flexible to fit the needs of the organization but typically include 10-20 hours worked between 9am-5pm Monday-Friday. Some nights and weekends may be required. The Volunteer Intern will office at the Community First! Village Welcome Center located at 9116 Hog Eye Road, Austin, TX 78724.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Volunteer Team
• Assist with check in process for volunteer groups
• Assist with coordination and leading of tours for volunteer groups
• Assist with way-finding and onsite support for individual and group volunteers
• Enter volunteer waivers into Salesforce (weekly)
• Send confirmation emails and reminders to volunteer groups (weekly)
• Truck Ministry
• Maintain organization of Commissary space, including accurate inventory, efficient arrangement, and supply readiness
• Lead teams of volunteers participating in make readies and truck runs, providing direction, support, and coordination
• Field incoming donation inquiries, communication needs, drop-off logistics, and guidelines to potential donors
• Assist with the expansion of CFV Truck Ministry documentation, signage, and licenses
• Special Projects
• Assist Volunteer Team in development of unique documentation, feedback forms and project management tools
• Participate in data mining and visualization as directed by Volunteer Manager
• Other Duties & Responsibilities as needed

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Principles

• MLF is a faith-based organization whose ideals and philosophy come directly from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As an organization, we strive to reflect this precept in our communications, both internally and externally.
• Commitment to serving those who have experienced homelessness and personal alignment with MLF's vision, mission, core values, and goals.
• Currently pursuing a degree in Hospitality Management, Non-Profit Management, Sociology, Data Analytics, Entrepreneurship, or other Business-related degrees.
• Proficient in the use of technology, including (but not limited to) Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Canva, Mailchimp, and Asana.
• Comfortable with the process of collecting, organizing, and presenting data.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Must have a valid driver's license.

Learning Opportunities

• Community Organization
• Business Processes
• Data Management
• Social Enterprise
• Event Management
• Public Speaking
• Hospitality and Customer Service

Program Information

• Estimated length of program: 10 weeks beginning Summer 2025

Work Environment & Physical Demands

• Must be able to move about the property
• Must be able to operate MLF golf carts (valid driver's license required)
• Must be able to lift up to 40 lbs
• Must be able to stand for prolonged periods of time

MLF PURPOSE/VISION

We empower communities into a lifestyle of service with the homeless.

MLF MISSION

We provide food and clothing, cultivate community, and promote dignity to our homeless brothers and sisters in need.

GOALS

• Transform the way people view the stereotype of those who find themselves homeless
• Reconnect the homeless to self, family and community
• Help the chronically homeless rediscover and utilize their God-given talents to do purposeful work
• Connect human to human, heart to heart through the fellowship of food and hospitality
• Inspire people into a lifestyle of abundance by giving their best first

BELIEF STATEMENTS

The vision is supported by belief statements centered on our belief that homelessness is the result of a profound, catastrophic loss of family:

• God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life
• By virtue of being created by God in His image, we are all called to live in community and relationship with Him through each other
• The family is the original cell of social life
• You shall love your neighbor as yourself
• All members of the human family are equal in dignity
• The Lord God took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and care for it. Gen 2:15

CORE VALUES

MLF is committed to fostering a culture that prioritizes relational connection. We believe there is opportunity in every aspect of our work to be relational in a highly transactional world. In this culture, transactions are means to relational ends, not the other way around.

This begins with the countercultural love poured out by Jesus Christ and grows as imperfect individuals strive to show this love to each other human-to-human, heart-to-heart.

Each individual's openness to the journey of their own personal growth is essential in building our relational culture, and we believe this culture flourishes as we each continuously strive to more fully embody these four core values:

• Faith: We define Faith as the foundational belief that our world and all our work belong to God. This allows us to engage our work with joy and lightheartedness, knowing that we are not ultimately in control.
• Humility: We define Humility as rightly viewing oneself as a single piece of a grander story. This humility leads to a view of oneself that is neither too high nor too low.
• Generous Spirit: We define a Generous Spirit as a readiness to give more grace, mercy, and hospitality than is necessary or expected. This posture allows us to see others for who they are, not what they do.
• Integrity: We define Integrity as a wholehearted commitment to doing right by God, ourselves, and others. This wholeheartedness shows itself in consistently choosing honesty, responsibility and ownership in all actions and decisions.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

MLF is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Personnel are chosen based on ability without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, genetics, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation in accordance with federal and state law.