Five rising high school seniors served as interns at The River this summer through the UW PEOPLE Program, a college and career readiness kickstart program designed for low-income and potential first-generation college students. For five weeks, these students learned how The River operates and helped with all sorts of projects, like painting, database updates, and assisting clients.

Before saying goodbye, the interns shared with us some of their top takeaways or experiences:

• “From my time here, I can tell many clients see The River as a safe haven with food, clothes and friendly faces.”
• “My internship has greatly opened up my eyes. Food pantries are a necessity. There are so many people who truly need it to make it.”
• “I am grateful for this experience. I got choked up every time I saw someone get excited because they found the right food and especially when I saw kids smile.”
• “I felt like I made a change with every smile, ‘thank you,’ and ‘have a nice day,’ when I interacted with clients.”
• “I now know that there has to be a deep passion to run a nonprofit, especially a food pantry. Volunteers are truly necessary to run this nonprofit, so if able, come volunteer.”

Thank you all for your compassion and hard work! We wish you all the best in what lies ahead and we hope to see you again.