Hello! I'm Cydney
I am currently a senior doing my last year of undergrad at the University of Florida, majoring in Sustainability Studies and minoring in Nonprofit Organizational Leadership. My passion lies in sustainable and social development, especially within Southern Africa. Throughout each of my internship or job experiences I have felt my passion for people developing more and more and have acquired an ardent desire to learn more about the NGO and nonprofit sector. I made this portfolio to showcase my experience and accomplishments at two very different internships during my senior year of Spring 2017.
Cydney Chambers
Honors Student at the University of Florida
Phone:
352-888-0073
Email:
Address:
1231 SW 3rd Ave
Gainesville, Fl
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Date of Birth:
March 11th, 1994
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Projects for Haiti
UNIVERSITY
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Goals and Objectives
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To play an active role in the organization
Actively participate in all conversations and make relevant contributions where I can
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To learn about what aid looks like in Haiti
Learn about the importance of sustainable development practices
Learn about what need looks like in Haiti
Learn about what the appropriate form of aid should look like as a result of the need in Haiti
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To learn about the nonprofit sector
Actively participate in and take note of all activities that make this a working experience unique to nonprofits
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Duties
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Raise awareness about their new study abroad program on campus
Gave a presentation about the program to a number of classes and organizations on campus
Advertised the program by creating a Facebook page for it and printing and posting flyers around campus
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Help in projects as needed
Research potential grants that can be applied to in order to gain funding for international initiatives with a priority in education and health
Accomplishments
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As this internship was conducted remotely I had to take the initiative to carry out different tasks and make sure that I was consistently making a contribution to the organization, which I believe I grew to be successful at.
Additionally I gained much needed practice in public speaking whilst presenting the study abroad to various students on campus. I believe that it was a very beneficial task for me to do and that my skills in public speaking have developed significantly.
EXPERIENCE
Bread of the Mighty Food Bank
Goals and Objectives
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To actively participate in the working environment
Play an active role in the team by using knowledge about non-profits that I had learned in class to participate effectively in the working environment
Actively collaborate with fellow employees and contribute to discussions about future events and goals
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To learn about what aid looks like in Gainesville
Learn about and understand the need that exists in Gainesville as compared to other areas
Learn about what aid looks like in Gainesville as a result of the need
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To learn about the nonprofit sector
Actively participate in fundraising or other necessary activities
Learn how a nonprofit functions differently to a for-profit
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Duties
Assist with fundraising
Assist in the planning and development of the annual fundraiser event, Empty Bowls
Support grant writer in researching potential grants
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Assist in the showroom and warehouse
Sort food to be sent out to different locations
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Help in the office as needed
Provide support to employees for tasks that need to be completed
Accomplishments
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I have gained more knowledge about fundraising than I was expecting from this experience and have developed an interest in it that I would like to pursue professionally.
In addition to discovering an interest for fundraising, I have also developed a passion for food. My experience at the Food Bank has opened my eyes to the ever present problem of food insecurity and developed a desire within me to develop a similar program at home (in South Africa) where a vast majority of the population have little access to healthy and consistent sources of food.
From January to April 2017 I interned at the Bread of the Mighty Food Bank and Projects for Haiti simultaneously. It was an interesting experience because although both organizations were nonprofits, my two internship experiences could not have differed more dramatically.
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Projects for Haiti is a nonprofit based in South Florida whose mission is to redefine aid in Haiti by encouraging sustainable practices such as equipping and empowering Haitians with the skills and knowledge needed to transform their own communities. As I was based in Gainesville (North Florida) throughout my internship, it had to be carried out remotely. Therefore my internship primarily consisted of communication through email and me being the link to the Gainesville and University of Florida community that had been lost when the organization moved South.
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The Bread of the Mighty Food Bank is a nonprofit based in Gainesville whose mission is to provide hope and encouragement to the hungry and food insecure. They acquire, sort, store and distribute food to the community through other nonprofit agencies who provide to those in need. I worked at the Food Bank three times a week throughout my internship experience. I had no one role as an intern but instead assisted wherever I could. This allowed me to gain a a very broad understanding of the organization as I was able to work both in operations by assisting in the warehouse as well as gain insight into the more strategic operations of the organization by sitting in on meetings with the board.
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Therefore, in the four months of my internships I was able to gain experience in working in an office as well as working remotely in addition to implementing aid designed for local communities as well as international.
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