Public Benefits Internship at CONNECT!

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CONNECT Intake & Public Benefits Internship

The Neighborhood Developers, Inc. (TND) creates vibrant neighborhoods where people from all walks of life can thrive. Focused in Chelsea and Revere, TND has crafted a remarkable track record of success through investments that are conceived, designed, and fostered by neighborhood residents, municipal partners, and many stakeholders. TND brings its core strengths -- building homes, engaging neighbors, and fostering economic mobility -- to community partnerships that create thriving families and strong neighborhoods. TND created and supports the CONNECT Financial Opportunity Center that co-locates and integrates the services of five agencies working together to improve the financial mobility of 4,000 clients annually.

Based at the CONNECT office in Chelsea, the Intake & Public Benefits intern will work one-on-one to help families apply for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called food stamps) and make referrals to the WIC program. These public benefits have proven anti-poverty impacts for low income families and provide an important safety net. Each of these public benefits provides clients with a significant increase to their monthly income, but many of CONNECT’s clients are missing out on accessing these benefits due to systemic barriers in the application process, stigma associated with participation in government programs, or lack of awareness of eligibility. The Public Benefits intern will help eliminate barriers to financial stability among CONNECT’s low-income constituency through providing application assistance and case management support throughout the entire application process. The intern will help families to submit applications for benefits, collect required documentation, and navigate the complicated application process. Additional responsibilities include participating in weekly financial capabilities services staff meetings, providing an orientation of other services to clients, completing intake forms, calling the DTA and other customer assistance lines to help resolve client cases, and creating referrals to other services. Other tasks and activities may be added, based on the intern’s interests and organizational need. This position is 80% in person with 2 day work from home. Strong/proficient computer skills are required.

This position is a good match for you if you like working directly with families, are bilingual (must be able to speak Spanish), have a high attention to detail, and can advocate for others. You’ll find that no two cases are the same, so this position requires creativity and flexibility in figuring out how to best help each client. The position also requires a high level of responsibility and ability to work independently.

We are looking to fill multiple unpaid intern positions and will fill the positions on a rolling basis. The ideal candidate can commit to a minimum of 5/10 hours a week in the fall or 2 semesters. This position is only for Interns seeking course credit as part of their academic program. The schedule is flexible, and will be determined based on your availability and program need. This internship does not pay a stipend.

To apply, please send a resume and a single paragraph describing why you are interested in the internship to Ruby Savinon, Program Manager: Rsavinon@tndinc.org. Serious inquiries only please.

For more information about other ways to volunteer or get involved with Connect, please contact Program Director Alexa Shabecoff at (617) 545-8348 or by emailing Ashabecoff@tndinc.org