High School Interns Inspire Hope For The Summer

As the school year comes to an end, high school students across the Tampa Bay area continue learning at Metropolitan Ministries through our Summer Teen Internship program. 

The goal of the program is to offer hands-on experiences while allowing the students to see firsthand the profound impact of their efforts. Students spend their summer building valuable leadership skills while inspiring hope in the community. The internship is an impactful way for teenagers to learn about Metro’s mission to care for homeless and at-risk families. Interns are assigned to various departments across two campuses and also provide valuable logistics and food sorting support in the food warehouse. They serve alongside our staff throughout the summer, preparing 3,000 meals a day in the kitchen, organizing incoming donations at the thrift store, assisting families in the Metro Market, and more.

Madison Rocca, volunteer services coordinator and manager of the program, shares why the program is a unique experience. “Our interns actively inspire hope,” said Rocca. “Not only are summer interns gaining resume-building skills and experience, but they also see their impact in the community.”

 In addition to lending a hand, students who participate in the internship have the opportunity to earn hours for Bright Futures and job applications. 

Past interns have gone on to attend and graduate from college. Some proudly work in healthcare, mental health counseling, and education, where their experience at Metro has given them valuable tools. 

“Our interns are contributing to something bigger than themselves, and that is a pretty amazing opportunity that we hope will inspire and empower them.” said Rocca.