During her time at West Park Kamm’s Neighborhood Development, Triniti worked as a summer intern and helped run the food benefits program at the organization’s weekly farmer’s market. She gained this great opportunity through Summer on the Cuyahoga, which offers Colgate students paid internships and free housing in Cleveland across a variety of industries.
West Park Kamm’s program focuses on nearby residents who are recipients of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Programs (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) as well as other pandemic-related food assistance. It allows them to double recipients’ benefits by redeeming vouchers for market tokens.
This program increases access to local produce that buyers could be sure was healthy and free of pesticides. Additionally, the market helped to support local businesses and farmers by providing them with a steady stream of local customers and a platform to market their handmade goods and produce. Triniti also worked in outreach efforts by planning events for the community including park movie nights, neighborhood clean-ups, and local tours of the neighborhood.
Through this internship, Triniti experienced how multifaceted and beneficial nonprofit work can be to local communities.
Colgate and its generous alumni and parent donors offer grants to support students' living costs and supplemental expenses to pursue unpaid and underpaid summer experiences. Learn more about Colgate summer funding