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#CrusaderIntern: United Planet

Hear from #CrusaderIntern Quynh Nguyen about her experience last summer at United Planet in Boston.

What were you up to this past summer?

United Planet is a nonprofit organization in Boston, MA that promotes international volunteerism for long-term (6+ months) and short-term (1-12 weeks) programs. I work as the short-term Program Advisor and I was in charge of general administrative tasks. These tasks include speaking to volunteer inquiries by phone and email, register enrollees with the Department of State’s Safe Traveler Enrollment Program, put together packages to send out to volunteers, etc. In addition to these daily tasks, I also was involved in longer on-going projects for the organization, including creating a PowerPoint to visually demonstrate volunteer statistics (how much percentage for each age group, which county is most/least popular, what’s the most common duration of stay, etc), accumulate and compose a list of resources for pre-departure training sessions, and speak to coordinators from each country.

I would say that my most important role however is acting as a first point of contact for potential volunteers. This requires me to know basic information about all of the short term programs in order to give people accurate answers.

What was your favorite part?

What I really enjoyed most about United Planet is how close the staff is. I felt welcomed on my first day on the job and have grown more comfortable with everyone. We are all really close in age so it’s much easier to get along. There is a Social Committee that plans events outside of work so it’s nice to get to know my colleagues outside of the office.

What surprised you?

What surprised me about this organization is the way that it’s a network of roles that all depend on each other. By this, I mean that each person has his/her own work that is different from other people’s, which comes together to form a functional organization.
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#CrusaderIntern: Prepare + Prosper

Name: Mae Hougo ’18
Organization: Prepare + Prosper

Prepare + Prosper is a free tax and financial services non-profit based in St. Paul, Minnesota. During the tax season Prepare + Prosper sets up free tax clinics all around the metro area, which people below a certain income can come and receive tax help from our trained volunteers. The organization also encourages people to see their tax refund as a “money moment.” Their refund could be used to set up a savings account for the unforeseeable emergencies in life.

What were you up to this past summer?

I am the outreach intern here at Prepare + Prosper. I am working with the communications staff to inform the community about Prepare + Prospers services, and a few specific tax credits. In Minnesota there is a tax credit for families with children in grades K-12 to write off the school supplies and materials they buy. The summer is the perfect time of year to encourage families to save their receipts. My job has been to contact the principals of schools in the area, as well as local organizations that might be having back-to-school events. I send the schools and organizations materials and information about the tax credit and our services.

I also work with on the Claim It Campaign, which is a state wide campaign informing the public about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC is a federal tax credit for low-income working individuals and families. This tax credit is the number one way to fight poverty in our country. I work with our Campaign Manager here at Prepare + Prosper in restructuring our materials so that they are useful, engaging tools for our viewers. I am also helping the organization become better connected with counties around the state in order to reach more people eligible for the credit.

What was your favorite part?

My favorite part of my internship was going into the community and sharing with people how our services can help them become more financially stable. Whether it is at a local shelter, or a veteran’s event, I enjoy the one-on-one time I can spend with members of the community. I hope that my doing so incentivizes more people to use our tax and financial services, which can allow them to get ahead.

What surprised you?

What has surprised me the most is how dedicated the network of volunteers is to Prepare + Prosper’s mission. I have been fortunate enough to attend a volunteer appreciation event. The volunteers dedicate so much of their time to this organization, and a lot of them donate money as well. They see how a tax refund can better a life, and continue to volunteer year after year.