Hello! I’m Ruby Lobert, a rising senior at The Ohio State University. I’m getting a Bachelor’s in Public Management, Leadership, and Policy with a Specialization in Nonprofit Management and a Minor in Human Rights. For the next ten weeks, I’ll be working at Jewish Family Services as a Marketing and Communications Intern. I’m beyond excited and grateful for this opportunity – it’s been a goal of mine to delve into nonprofit work, and now I have finally started.

Jewish Family Services mission is to help “individuals and families achieve economic self sufficiency and emotional stability.” They are guided by the Jewish value Tikkun olam. It means to repair the world. To achieve this goal, JFS provides a wide variety of services, including: free financial counseling, resettlement coordination and assistance for refugees, supports for job seekers anywhere from young to seasoned professionals, mental health services, and more.

This first week has been packed with learning experiences, new faces, and a lot of excitement. On Tuesday, for example, I was taking a tour of the JFS building with my supervisor and I got to meet the CEO, Ms. Karen Mozenter, as well as many directors, managers, and staff. Shortly thereafter, I helped load up cars for a senior luncheon happening down the street. I also helped unload, set up, and serve food. Actions like these may seem small, but as people continued to stick their head in the kitchen to tell us thank you, that they appreciated us for doing this, and that they loved the event, it demonstrated how even acting for the benefit of one makes all the difference.

I’ve also been able to sit in on director level meetings this week, going over communications and social media strategy as well as general resource development for JFS. Every day is different, which I appreciate. It means I’ll continue to learn and grow throughout these next ten weeks as things evolve over time. Since day one, my time at JFS has been very hands on, and I’m very excited to continue.