United Way of Greater Waterbury

Title: Community Impact Intern
Location: Waterbury
Dates: June 10 to August 16
Hours: Approximately 31.5 hours a week for 10 weeks. While we are suggesting this proposed schedule, we are also flexible and are willing to accommodate the intern by changing either the numbers of hours per week or the number of weeks while still arriving at a total of 315 hours

Job Description: 

United Way of Greater Waterbury’s mission is to mobilize our ten-town region amplify its resources and invest in approaches that advance equity and measurable community outcomes. We envision an engaged, inspired community in which all people thrive with healthy lives, quality education, and financial stability. Since 1942, the United Way of Greater Waterbury has leveraged its active volunteer leadership, deep subject-matter expertise and strong fundraising skills to positively impact the quality of life in our 10-town area, which includes Bethlehem, Cheshire, Middlebury, Prospect, Southbury, Thomaston, Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott and Woodbury. The organization invests in over 50 programs and initiatives in the areas of Basic Needs (health care, housing and food), Education and Financial Stability.

These efforts address individuals’ and families' immediate needs while also developing long-term solutions to community challenges. The Community Impact Intern to assist with the overall work in all three of our impact areas.

Basic Needs: ensuring all residents have adequate access to healthcare, housing and food.

Education: increasing quality early learning educational experiences for children birth through 5 and increase the number of youth, 5 through 18, who have opportunities to experience success and achieve their potential.

Financial Stability: increase financial stability by expanding training and employment opportunities for the under-employed and unemployable youth and adults as well as access to programs and practices that increase household income.

Some examples of the work will include:

Under Basic Needs:

• Assist with United Way of Greater Waterbury’s Homeless Task Force. Send out meeting invites, take minutes and attend these community meetings to learn firsthand about the collaborative work to help the homeless population in Greater Waterbury.

Under Education:

• Assist with taking a deeper dive into the Mental Health of youth in our community, as presented in our latest Community Needs Assessment. Assist with additional data collection and fact findings and convening community collaboratives related to the topic at hand.

Financial Stability:

• Assist with the implementation of a Your Money, Your Goals Financial Literacy Training for staff of local non-profit providers. Coordinate with training facilitator, locate training space and invite community members to attend. Training will take place over 3 hours per day, once a week for three weeks and will include the topics of budgeting, savings, banking, credit, debt and more. The Community Impact Intern is also invited to be a participant in the class.

All Impact Areas:

• Learn about the work of United Way in the Greater Waterbury Community, visit and engage with community agencies.
• Assist with additional community impact projects as needed, including other deeper data collection projects with regard to our most recent Community Needs Assessment.

Career Experience: 

By participating in an internship with United Way, the intern will be exposed to many learning and growth opportunities. United Way of Greater Waterbury is a lead non-profit in our 10-town community, with many relationships with non-profit agencies, corporations, stakeholders and more. As such, United Way leads many tables of conversation and collaboration on the initiatives that we support, giving the intern the experience of participating in these community conversations as well. With this particular project, the intern will gain first-hand knowledge of the inner workings of many local non-profits and how they improve the lives of Greater Waterbury residents. In addition, our Community Impact Staff brings over 30 years collectively of experience with United Way and in the health and human services field. We would be delighted to share our knowledge, time and expertise with this intern at all levels as we work together to improve the Basic Needs, Education and Financial Stability of our residents.

Suggested College Majors:

The college and career goals that may be the best match for this position would be those individuals that are interested in Health & Human Services and/or Basic Needs (health, housing and food), Education and Financial Stability.

Applicant Requirements: 

We welcome any applicant that is willing to learn about the Community Impact work of United Way and that is positive and enthusiastic about helping people thrive with their Basic Needs, Education and Financial Stability in the Greater Waterbury community.