NORWICH – Courtney Wiltsie, in her last semester at Morrisville State College’s Norwich campus, is interning for Chenango County Habitat for Humanity (CCHH). To fulfill her ninety-hour commitment, Wiltsie is doing everything Habitat asks, and then some, as well as gaining valuable experience and college credits.
CCHH is about to hold their first Souper Bowl, a fun soup tasting fundraiser happening at the end of March, in the Norwich VFW. There are so many things to do that the regular Habitat volunteers are swamped for time. Terri Bickford, an adjunct English Professor at the Norwich campus, is chairing the Souper Bowl fundraiser and Courtney is helping in many ways.
Phone calls need to be placed to area restaurants to find donors of soup. A Souper Bowl poster has to be designed and created by March 16 to go in the sign board, at the corner of West Main and Broad Streets, in the center of Norwich City. A tri-fold display needs to be designed and assembled so it can be displayed during the CCHH Souper Bowl on March 31 to help people understand all the work that goes into Habitat home repairs/builds and their achievements. On top of Courtney’s coursework at Morrisville, these are some of the challenges she faces to assist CCHH.
“I’ll do what-ever they need me to do!” Courtney explained with enthusiasm. She is exactly the sort of selfless volunteer CCHH needs, but as a Norwich Morrisville “intern” Wiltsie is also reaping benefits.
This Norwich campus student is eager for a professional career in her chosen field and this exchange is a very effective tool. Courtney is a Human Services major. Morrisville describes that educated individuals in that field will play a significant role in, “maintaining and improving the quality of life and economic vitality of individuals, families, groups, and organizations in New York.” As an (unpaid) intern for Habitat, there is no doubt that Courtney is getting career-relevant experience, working for this non-profit charity. It will not only look good on her résumé, but it will also demonstrate to a future employer, that she handled the variety of tasks that were asked of her and saw the projects through from start to finish. In this economy, that is one of the keys that will give Wiltsie, at the cusp of her twenty-third birthday, a leg-up to getting a job over competitors, when she graduates this spring.
For now, CCHH is Courtney’s concern. She believes in their mission, to provide affordable housing in Chenango County, seeking to eliminate poverty housing and revitalize communities. Going beyond the ninety-hours of her internship, Courtney will even be conveying this message to fellow students in the Human Services program to get them interested in helping her with serving dozens of great soups and breads at the Souper Bowl fundraiser. Proceeds from this event will be used toward the next CCHH house which is being built in West Bainbridge in partnership with Lorraine Cornish and her family. That will definitely “improve the quality of their lives.”
The Morrisville Norwich Campus Internship Program seeks to provide students with an opportunity to integrate classroom learning with practical knowledge and skills through supervised field experience. Students or employers may contact Dr. C. Fred Weaver at weavercf@morrisville.edu or call 334-5144 for more info. The campus, located adjacent to the Eaton Center in downtown Norwich, serves Chenango County and other counties in South Central New York.
For CCHH internship information contact Marjory Clark at 764-8341; email: marjoryclark@habitat.chenango.org . Please put "Habitat" on the subject line.
CCHH Souper Bowl sponsors are the Norwich VFW Post #2782, NBT Bank, Visions Federal Credit Union and the Pennysaver. Read about raffles, entertainment, and more, on the calendar page at habitat.chenango.org or contact: 656-8155; email CCHHsouperbowl@gmail.com. Habitat for Humanity offers “a hand up, not a handout.”