Today, Golden Harvest Food Bank is celebrating National Intern Day as it completes its summer program in partnership with Bank of America. This is the second year Golden Harvest has hosted the Student Leaders® program, which took place virtually this summer. The Student Leaders program recognizes and rewards high school juniors and seniors for their passion and commitment to community service by placing them in paid internships across the U.S. 

In light of the health concerns in local communities, the program adopted a virtual format. Students had the opportunity to learn about the vital role nonprofits play in advancing community health, the importance of public private partnerships to advance social change, and strategies to successfully build financial acumen. 

Student Leaders worked last year under the direction of the Food Bank’s Director of Fundraising to support programs at Summer Market Mobile Food Pantries and The Master’s Table Soup Kitchen. This summer, the Student Leader worked virtually with Golden Harvest acting as mentors. She learned about fundraising, broadened her perspective on how nonprofits serve community needs and advanced her civic engagement.

The Class of 2020 Augusta-based Bank of America Student Leader who interned at Golden Harvest Food Bank was Alexis Weathers, a graduate of A.R. Johnson Health Science & Engineering Magnet School. She will conclude her internship with a presentation showcasing her work in a group project, where she helped to develop a story bank tool that nonprofits can use to share stories on social media to inspire others and highlight their importance in the community. 

Bank of America has been a philanthropic partner of the Golden Harvest Food Bank since 1995. In all, Bank of America has provided more than $900,000 in grants to the Food Bank to address food insecurity and provide support to Augusta’s most vulnerable populations.