Marist High School Summer Intern: Emmy Goode

Midtown Assistance Center was fortunate to have a student from Atlanta’s Marist School intern for a week in June to learn about the work MAC does and dedicate her time and positive attitude to assisting MAC clients. Emmy is an Atlanta native and rising senior at Marist. One of her previous volunteer experiences includes her participation in a summer leadership seminar with Marist and Catholic Charities of Atlanta. It was a week long program where she learned what it means to be a servant leader for others, reaffirming her interest in becoming a teacher for children with special needs and continuing to volunteer with local non-profit organizations. Her time spent in Sacred Heart Church’s congregation and her mother’s familiarity with MAC caused Emmy to recognize MAC’s name when she was searching through a Marist list of internships to choose from. She listed MAC as her top choice for where she would complete her internship, knowing she would benefit from working directly with those who are marginalized in her community.

When asked about the work MAC does, Emmy stated that “I like how MAC is open to many, many people. And if MAC cannot help a person in a certain way, they offer different services until there is one that would work for a certain client.” She felt humbled by her experience sitting down with clients and hearing their stories, and enjoyed having face-to-face contact with those she was serving. “My favorite moment at MAC was sitting down with a gentleman and helping him fill out his grocery list. He had cataracts, and just needed someone to go through the list with him- it felt great to help someone with a small, but important task.”

Emmy was a fantastic addition to the MAC family. She was willing to assist with any jobs around the office, was excited to shadow a volunteer and see clients, and added to the positive spirit at MAC. One of her favorite times from her week with MAC was taking a walk with the Jesuit Volunteer, Nicole, to Caribou Coffee to collect unpurchased pastries to provide to our homeless clients. “I really enjoyed this because I was able to talk to Nicole about her life, and she asked me questions to engage me and even gave me advice about college!” Getting to know the cheerful spirit of the MAC team makes her excited to return to MAC in the future to volunteer her time and talents. “My first day, a volunteer told me I would never see a non-profit organization like MAC ever again,” she said. “I really admire this organization as it’s a wonderful place with a big heart.”