Summer 2026 Internship Program Reflection
It was fall of my sophomore year of high school, and my class was taking the day to serve at Friends of Recovery. I can still remember raking leaves in the front yard of Arukah and sweeping out the basement of Shalom. Fifteen year old me had no idea that in just a few years, those houses - and more importantly, the residents of those houses - would become such a special part of my life.
Fast forward to May 2026, the month of my high school graduation, bringing with it more pressure to figure out my future than I’d felt before. You can’t imagine the excitement I felt when my school’s guidance counselor sent me an email titled “New Paid Summer Internship Opportunity with Friends of Recovery NE Ohio.” And you definitely can’t imagine the relief and thankfulness I felt when I was accepted!
To put it simply, this internship has been a blessing and an answer to prayer from the start, and that has only grown increasingly more true over the course of the summer.
At the beginning of the internship, I had a vague, general understanding of who Friends of Recovery was. I knew they were a Christ centered ministry committed to serving individuals who are recovering from addictive substances - but that was the extent of my knowledge. I could never have imagined that in just ten quick weeks, not only would that knowledge explode into the many different aspects of leading a ministry, but also that I would get the exciting opportunity to be a part of each one.
When Dennis and Allison first interviewed me, I asked what I would actually be doing on a typical day at this internship? They just laughed - I didn’t realize it was such a hard question to answer . . . that is, until the other two interns and I jumped headfirst into the chaotic life of non-profit ministry. Looking back on that question, I would answer it with one word: heavy lifting. Literally and metaphorically.
To begin with, the huge amount of mental heavy lifting that takes place behind the scenes of a non-profit ministry was unexpected, and has left me with double the respect I started out with for the staff who have dedicated their all - long days and sleepless nights - to the purpose God prepared for them. It has been such a joy to be able to help shoulder that burden with them. The other two interns and I had the opportunity to join the many - many - different meetings throughout the summer. Staff meetings, Zoom calls, meetings with the treasurer, needs assessments, meetings to research grants, and of course, constant meetings to plan and vision cast and problem solve.
In addition to the planning, we had the opportunity to actively help these plans come to life - thanks to some physical heavy lifting at the Warehouse of HOPE! Together with the other interns and FORNEO staff and volunteers, we breathed new life into the Warehouse this summer. The floor layout was completely reorganized, the donation process thoroughly revamped, and staffing structure was developed for the first time. I got to experience firsthand the business oriented, money making branch of this ministry, and see how the Lord continues to provide through the irreplaceable patrons of the Warehouse.
All that being said, though, the heaviest lifting that takes place to keep a ministry up and running is the spiritual. Unlike some ministries, where the impact of your labor is sometimes as far as an ocean away, Friends of Recovery presents the unique opportunity to come face to face - literally - with the lives that are being changed. Because of this, I have been able to learn the most important aspect of any Christ-centered ministry: that healing, both physical and spiritual, starts with and is sustained by a personal relationship.
This relationship, first and foremost, is one between Jesus and me. The perfect, endless love that I find in that relationship overflows from my life into the lives of the people around me - lives that God has chosen to touch through me, for which I am forever grateful. Maybe that person is a resident who I’m sorting a donation with. Or a volunteer who shared donuts. Or an intern who I’m cleaning an air hockey table with. Or a volunteer who I’m painting Hesed’s basement with. Or a customer who needs help shopping. Or one or two (or ten) Nerf gun fights between Oakley and me . . . All true stories! All connections that would never be possible without the overflowing love of Jesus at work in the hearts of the people of Friends of Recovery.
I have been blessed beyond words to be able to join the current of love and care that is at the heart of this ministry. To serve alongside my brothers and sisters in Christ. While there will always be an endless list of things I’m not certain of, this internship has left me certain of this: that no matter where the Lord leads me, Friends of Recovery will always be my family.
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