ADI NORTH AMERICA INTERNS MAKING AN IMPACT
In summer 2021, the North America University Relations team kicked off its annual intern program with the addition of a brand new service project to help interns connect with one another and impact their local communities by partnering with a non-profit. It was also an opportunity for interns to learn about the Analog Devices Foundation, how it operates, and the impact it is making.
Interns were asked to create a proposal outlining their team’s name, role of each member, and their choice of non-profit. Each team was also assigned a mentor from the University Relations Team to help workshop ideas and questions.
Each team chose a different non-profit and completed outreach to determine how the non-profit could best use their support—from volunteer hours to fundraising, organizing a drive or anything in between! After that, it was time to get involved directly and make a difference.
TEAM 1 – Ronald McDonald House
The Raleigh Pop Tabs helped the Ronald McDonald House, which provides food and housing to families with hospitalized children. The team placed pop tab collection bins around the ADI office in Greensboro, NC to prompt donations. The pop tabs are easy to collect and transport that allows them to be recycled to generate funds that can be used to help with expenses. They informed office employees of the mission and activated mechanisms so pop tabs can continue to be collected and brought to the donations bin, even after the internships end.
Team 2—School on Wheels
2morrow 2gether helped School on Wheels, which enhances educational opportunities for children in kindergarten through 12th grade who are experiencing homelessness. The team fundraised and ran a calculator and laptop donation drive in the Santa Clara, Camas, and Beaverton offices. With the help from our IT department, the team donated 30 Dell laptops to School on Wheels. In addition, the team collected 20 graphic calculators and raised $806.27 towards purchasing school supplies for homeless students.
Marisol Farfan, Volunteer Engagement Specialist at School on Wheels, responded, “Analog Devices: Thank you for your generous gift to School on Wheels. Your support will help us provide students with the tools they need to be successful in their education. Thank you for helping us make a difference in the lives of children experiencing homelessness.”
Team 3—Missing Dogs Massachusetts
Kibble Krew helped Missing Dogs Massachusetts (MDM), an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that reunites missing and found dogs with their families in the Massachusetts area. MDM works cooperatively with animal control officers, rescues, shelters, law enforcement, and the media. All donations to this organization support lost dog preventive measures, like microchipping, to ensure the animals can easily be found in the future.
The interns tackled three initiatives: Creating a newsletter template, implementing auto-responses to donation receipts, and freshening up the website. Afterward, they provided personal contact information to the directors and offered future assistance above and beyond the duration of the internship program.
“Missing Dog Massachusetts (MDM) is so appreciative of the work done by the summer interns, aka Kibble Krew,” said Robyn Sardellitti, MDM Director. “As an all-volunteer organization, the Directors of MDM find it challenging to tackle initiatives like these when they are outside of our areas of professional expertise. The interns did an amazing job in all areas and completed everything they set out to do at the beginning of the project. They were extremely professional, well organized and maintained the perfect level of communication. We feel extremely fortunate that our organization is the one they chose to work with.”
Team 4—Habitat for Humanity
The 4s for Good worked with Habitat for Humanity by participating in a build day. Some of the team worked on the house build site while others worked in a restore facility to get used furniture ready to be used in these homes.
Lauren Wells, a member of team “The 4s for Good,” said, “Having a chance to volunteer on a build site was a very fun and rewarding experience. We really got to see firsthand how much work and care goes into each home, and after a long day’s work we left knowing that we made a difference in the lives of the two families who were soon to move in. I hope to keep volunteering for Habitat for Humanity on my own, since they hold Build Days year-round.”
“COVID has played a part in the number of in-person volunteers these nonprofits are able to have, but the interns did not let that stop them from getting creative in their approaches to this project,” said Christina Dervin, Executive Director for the Analog Devices Foundation. “The last 15 months has certainly been challenging for nonprofits around the world, and the need for more volunteers to help carry out their missions and make a difference is greater than ever. I’m grateful for the partnerships and support these interns created within the nonprofit community and for the creativity of this pilot program by the University Relations Team.”
Intern Impact: A New Tradition?
The Intern Impact Project was a unique opportunity for interns to step outside their normal day-to-day roles.
At the end of the program, teams had an opportunity to share their projects with each other as well as to the members of the foundation board. During these presentations, the impact each team had made was clear, as was the rewarding experience of making a difference during their short summer experience at ADI.
“Participating in altruistic events is a great source of making yourself happy and content. It felt great to get personally involved to help others through a non-profit organization,” said Hema Komarina, a member of the “Kibble Krew” that partnered with Missing Dogs Massachusetts. “As an intern, this opportunity helped me to connect and network with kind, thoughtful and diversified minds. I look forward to working for and giving back to society to continue making an impact.”
The University Relations team and the Analog Devices Foundation are excited to see where this project will go in the years to come. We are hoping to continue the Intern Impact Project for our incoming interns!
