Hello! My name is Dominic DiFrancesco. This summer, I had the great fortune of working as a summer intern in the Marketing and Development Department of Bucks County Housing Group under the leadership of Amanda McGill. I am a rising second-year student studying Marketing at the Smeal College of Business and Vocal Performance at the College of Arts and Architecture at the Pennsylvania State University, University Park (“main”) Campus. I am also a member of the Schreyer Honors College and Penn State’s Presidential Leadership Academy. Ultimately, pairing my majors, I want to work in entertainment marketing and public relations. During my time at Bucks County Housing Group, I worked on social media, contributing to posts on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I worked toward the shared goal of growing engagement on these accounts as social media has become one of the most critical channels for effectively reaching audiences, raising awareness about BCHG’s mission, and garnering support (monetary or otherwise) to drive greater impact and success. I collaborated with other departments, and I worked on several projects including a keywords research project that delved into what people in the community were searching for the most in terms of our pantries and housing services, how we can best utilize this data to spread our message, and what that tells us about our community’s needs. I also worked to revamp branded materials including program one-pagers designed for clients and for donors, respectively. I contributed to the planning, development, and execution of BCHG’s first fundraising event in over two years at Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company on July 15. I helped manage in-person donations, relations with vendors, and I even performed at the event! But most of all, I had the chance to witness incredible people dedicating their time and talents to closing the door on hunger and homelessness in Bucks County. One of my responsibilities as a summer intern was to gather research and resources into a concise document outlining what hunger and homelessness looked like in Bucks County. One of the aspects I touched on in the paper was a misconception that Bucks County is affluent and thus is immune to the housing and hunger crisis. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Thousands in Bucks County cannot fill their own or their family’s plates every day due to a variety of factors. However, there is help. The dedicated staff of Bucks County Housing Group is a caring, selfless, and hardworking group, and I am honored to have been among them for a season. I firmly believe that my time working as a summer intern at Bucks County Housing Group has and will contribute to my future success. Learning the fundamentals of donor relations, digital marketing, and the intricacies of the nonprofit sector will be invaluable to me as I move forward in my education and my career. It has been an eye-opening experience and has piqued my interest in future work in the non-profit sector, knowing that at its core, the work is dedicated to helping people. As I move forward, I am eager to explore new ways to make a positive impact. Thank you to everyone at Bucks County Housing Group for welcoming me with such open arms and making this summer experience unforgettable, especially my Marketing and Department dream team member Hannah Borish. Finally, thank you to Amanda McGill for her direction and mentorship. Amanda showed a genuine interest in my growth and success beyond only how it relates to BCHG and made herself available to provide guidance and support whenever needed. In closing, I’m so grateful to have been able to intern at Bucks County Housing Group, and I encourage any prospective interns to reach out. It’s an experience you won’t forget. Written by: Dominic DiFrancesco