Intern Spotlight: Fall 2022 - Denver Rescue Mission

At Denver Rescue Mission, we pride ourselves in helping restore the lives of people experiencing homelessness and addiction through emergency services, rehabilitation, transitional programs, and community outreach. An essential component of our impact is our internship program.

Our internships provide the opportunity for young professionals to contribute to our mission while also exploring and learning more about how to help people living with homelessness. We are grateful for the contributions that our interns make to our goal of changing lives. Check out these stories from some of our recent interns and how their experience here is helping to change their lives too!

Intern Spotlight: Makoto

Makoto is a Housing Services Intern. He is part of the supporting team that actively works on partnership development, managing database information and keeping files up to date. Makoto has an interest in helping refugees and people experiencing homelessness. It was his interest in this population that made him apply to be an intern at Denver Rescue Mission.

“I have always wanted to be part of the people who contribute and help those experiencing homelessness.”

My experience at the Mission has been interesting and awe-inspiring. Being exposed to the information and knowledge about people experiencing homelessness has been a learning experience for me. I have felt a shift in my view of people experiencing homelessness. Just listening to their stories and understanding the different situations in their lives that have led them to where they are right now has helped strengthen my resolve to help provide for their needs.

Having conversations with the people we serve has helped me brush up on my interpersonal and communication skills. Prior to this internship I have had challenges with communicating properly but with the exposure I have gotten from this internship, I am now more confident in speaking to people so that I can serve them better. My mindset has also changed. I have been able to learn to provide people experiencing homelessness with what they deserve such as dignity and a place to stay. I enjoy being part of the kind of life-changing process that my job offers. I hope that at the end of my internship I will have polished my communication skills so that I can have better conversations and help inform people of the needs of those experiencing homelessness. I want to encourage people to contribute and help change a person’s life. This internship has been a learning experience for me, and I believe it will be the same for other people thinking of interning at the Mission. There is so much to learn here. The exposure you will get from this internship will help you to be informed and help change someone’s life.

Intern Spotlight: Sara

Sara is a Housing Services Intern. She helps support program participants by informing them about housing services and programs that Denver Rescue Mission provides. She chose to intern at Denver Rescue Mission because she believed the Mission will help her achieve two of her goals: to learn and to serve people experiencing homelessness.

“Serving the homeless population has always been in my heart.”

My internship experience has been good, and I have loved it a lot. Everyone has been super open and welcoming. The Mission is a very learning-oriented environment, it has been easy to ask questions, especially as I am learning more about case management. The staff has been tremendously helpful to me.

I used to have a lot of misconceptions about people experiencing homelessness but since I started my internship at the Mission, my perspective has changed. I have a broadened worldview about the people we serve, and I have learned to not be judgmental and be more understanding of the circumstances people experiencing homelessness face on a daily basis. Interning at the Mission has made me realize that it takes a lot to serve people experiencing homelessness and that there is a great need, especially in Denver. My eyes have been opened to how big the need is and how diverse skill sets can help serve people experiencing homelessness.

At the end of my internship, I hope to have increased my knowledge on housing services and in case management so that I can contribute to serving and providing for the needs of people experiencing homelessness. Also, I hope to learn practical skills that will be helpful in interacting with diverse people from all walks of life. I would encourage people thinking about interning at Denver Rescue Mission to just do it. It is a rewarding experience and a great place to learn, make good connections and make an impact.

Intern Spotlight: Sydney

Sydney is a Housing Services Intern. She is part of the supporting team that works closely with program participants to manage caseloads under the direction of a case manager at the Mission. Her decision to intern at Denver Rescue Mission was based on the alignment of the organization’s missions and values with her personal values. Sydney was also drawn to the organization because she loves the heart behind the Mission that meets people where they are at, changing lives in the name of Christ and being part of something that is bigger than her.

“My internship placement is an answered prayer.”

This internship has been a learning and humbling experience because there were a lot of things I had to work through and information that I was unaware of about people experiencing homelessness. Also, the overwhelming support of all the staff at the Mission has been heartwarming. This internship has truly changed my perspective about people experiencing homelessness.

“I have never been homeless, so there was just this gap that was daunting and scary.”

Interning at Denver Rescue Mission has helped to fill that gap by helping me recognize that people experiencing homelessness are people first. This has helped shape my views as well as my language, bringing dignity into my speech. Through my internship, I have worked on my interpersonal skills, learning how to be friendly, open and welcoming when conversing with people we serve at the Mission. I have also honed in on career development and my future goals by taking advantage of the working business professionals at the Mission as well as improving my tech skills to increase my efficiency.

At the end of this internship, I hope to have made significant improvement in my cognitive development especially in having my frameworks of the world be shaped beyond the foundations of God and biblical authority. Also, I hope to learn how to have important conversations about people experiencing homelessness by sharing my own learning and growth. My advice to people thinking about interning at Denver Rescue Mission is to come with an open heart and open hands to serve because there are so many people that are in need. There is so much to be grateful for and you will be filled by serving. Your contribution is sure to make an impact.