An unforgettable summer experience!

Be part of that experience – apply to NightShift’s Summer Internship Program!

The last nine weeks have been unforgettable for Kayla MacGillivray. The 22-year-old psychology student says her time as an intern at NightShift Street Ministries has opened her eyes and showed her heart things she couldn’t learn from a textbook.

Kayla’s life-changing few months’ stint as NightShift’s Volunteer Services Assistant is almost over, and now our non-profit organization is looking for another special student for the rest of the summer. It’s an experience Kayla highly recommends to other returning students, aged 15 to 30. “It will change your perspective, how you see things, and how you react to things,” says Kayla, who will be returning to Kwantlen Polytechnic University in the fall. “It’s been an amazing experience for me and I’ve met some stellar, genuine people. I would never change that for the world.”

The intern will support our Volunteer Services team – a vital role at NightShift, whose purpose is to care for those who desperately need it in inner city Surrey: people who are homeless, living in poverty, addicted and/or mentally ill. To do this, NightShift relies on dedicated volunteers from an incredible database of thousands of supporters.

The intern will not only receive full-time employment for nine-weeks, he or she will get hands-on experience working in a team and understanding the needs of marginalized people. Duties include help organizing events, data entry and tracking, answering enquiries, and scheduling volunteers.

The intern will work alongside Volunteer Services Coordinator, Marty Jones, who says the summer job provides an amazing opportunity to understand how a non-profit organization works, what motivates people to get involved and deal with issues of mental health, addictions, poverty and homelessness. “The intern will really see firsthand what effective teamwork looks like. We all really assist each other when there’s a need,” explains Marty. “This is one of the best teams I’ve ever worked on.”

Kayla, who hopes to counsel either teens or people who are addicted when she completes her degree, says the most impactful thing she learned working alongside the team at NightShift was a deepened understanding of the issues faced by people living on the street. “Even in this short amount of time, it’s really changed my perspective as far as our street friends go,” shares Kayla. “It’s so much deeper than the ignorant attitude ‘why don’t they just get a job’. This isn’t something you can just throw under the rug and just forget about it. I don’t want to shove it aside. I want to come back and volunteer even after I’m done working.”

NightShift Street Ministries, a non-profit outreach organization, is located near the Whalley ‘strip’ where hundreds of people suffering with addictions, mental illness, poverty and homelessness gather. It’s our mission to love these friends unconditionally and help them find love, hope and purpose. Through her NightShift intern experience, Kayla has learned a powerful way to do that. “It’s so important to validate people, give them a voice, make sure they are heard,” she says. “Get to know people’s names. That’s when I got the most out of it – knowing I’m giving them validation by simply listening. It’s the easiest thing to do. Life isn’t always easy-going. Everyone has a story.”

Come, and be part of an unforgettable story this summer at NightShift. Returning students, ages 15 to 30, are invited to submit a resume and references to Marty.