Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief (MODR) is now offering an internship to students. The collegiate summer internship offered by MODR brings students a unique opportunity to serve individuals and communities affected by disasters. This is a traveling internship, and students will be on the move from one location to another throughout the summer. The internships’ objectives are to help students develop as leaders, train in disaster relief, develop practical skills for the future, and grow spiritually. Students will achieve these objectives by using Disaster Relief as a platform.
Storms gave several opportunities to this summer’s team of 12 interns. The team traveled over 8,000 miles and served at six separate locations. Using chainsaws, shovels, and many other tools, they brought help, hope, and healing to many people. For Hurricane Beryl, they carried out over 40 chainsaw jobs, worked flood recovery for six homes, and helped cook 68,000 meals.
In addition to being a paid internship, students are provided with all housing, food, and transportation costs. While traveling, we use our vehicles and equipment and stay in local churches. Students are asked to apply by December 31st; there could still be openings after that, but the application process will close on April 1st. Any current undergraduate, graduate, or recent college graduate may apply. Several have also been able to use the internship for college credit.
The internship began in 2014, and with over 70 participants, it has been a strong ministry that supports the next generation. With several alumni working in professional fields around the United States, its impact is hard to measure. Kaliyah, a student from this year’s group, said, “The internship helped me realize how much I can do and how much of a blessing I can be to others who are going through what could be the hardest situation of their lives. I learned so much about myself and saw God work through me, my team, and through all the people we have helped this summer.”
Former students have gone into healthcare, disaster relief, and emergency management-related fields. Our internship helps them broaden their perspective in their respective fields. According to Gabe, one of our Emergency Management students, “This MODR internship is a down-to-earth opportunity to experience how faith-based disaster relief operates within the incident command. It is an effective way to build your leadership and communication skills while practically assisting those in need.”
Students participating in our program also gain invaluable insight and experience from other Disaster Relief volunteers. Many volunteers are retired and have experiences to share with our students. These encounters go on to prove very helpful for our students. Sharadyn, now working with a national Disaster Relief organization, said, “One of the things older volunteers did that helped me with a lot in my current position was simply sharing their experiences; what worked, what didn’t, and difficult situations they faced and how they overcame it, positive stories that showed they had an impact.”
For more information, please contact drcollegiate@mobaptist.org.
