Intern Spotlight: Savanna Kerr Spends Summer at Joseph & Mary’s Home

Internships are beneficial to both interns and the organizations that host them. This was certainly true this summer at Joseph & Mary’s Home. Savanna Kerr, a junior Arrupe Scholar at John Carroll University, interned through JCU’s Summer in the City program. Coordinated by JCU’s Center for Service-Learning and Social Action, Savanna’s internship had her at Joseph & Mary’s Home full time for 10 weeks. Savanna – who is a political science major on the pre-law track – shared her thoughts about the positive and educational experience.

Why did you pursue a Summer in the City internship?

During the internship placement process, I knew I wanted to work for an organization I had no previous ties to, one that would allow me to grow and meet new people. Being from a suburb in Youngstown, I had never really talked with or worked extensively with those experiencing homelessness. Having the opportunity to intern at Joseph and Mary’s Home was very significant to me.

While at Joseph & Mary’s Home, what were some of the projects and responsibilities given to you?

During this internship, I was given the task of revising the resident handbook and worked with the staff and residents to do this. I also revised the policies and procedures, updating them so they made sense for the new facility!

What are you most proud of accomplishing during your internship?

I completed the resident handbook with newer and updated policies that the residents themselves weighed in on this summer. Traditionally, residents have not had a voice in this process, so giving some autonomy and choice back really made me feel accomplished.

What was a lesson – or key takeaway – that you are leaving with now that your internship is complete?

You should try and give everyone a chance. So many people just need a chance taken on them and that will lead to personal and societal success.

How was the internship different than you expected? 

I walked into this experience thinking I was going to sit at a desk all day reading policies and procedures. I know now that I was wrong in this assumption! Every day I would spend time with residents, and we would talk about different topics. Also, I never expected to make braille labels for resident room signs, but I did and learned how important it is to ensure the new Joseph & Mary’s Home space is accessible for all.

Now that your internship is completed, what do you wish others in the community knew about Joseph & Mary’s Home?

Joseph & Mary’s Home is such a unique place in Cleveland. Just understanding what people are going through, body, mind and soul, is very important. Many people look at shelters with distaste, and I feel that is unfair. The residents here are people in need of assistance, and everyone forgets that circumstances could lead to them being in the same exact place.

From your perspective as someone who spent many hours at Joseph & Mary’s Home this summer, how can others best support it?

While physical donations (clothes, hygiene care products, etc.)  are great, time and energy are just as, if not more, important! Lending a hand would allow the staff to get other tasks done while the volunteers are working around the facility or partaking in an activity with residents.