Ellie Hartmann’s Fall 2022 Internship with Thrive DC

During the Fall 2022 semester, Ellie Hartmann, an English major from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, interned at Thrive DC, a non-profit striving to end and prevent homelessness in Washington, DC by providing vulnerable individuals with emergency and step-up services. Learn more about her internship experience delving into non-profit communication and fundraising.

Tell us about your internship experience.

I had the wonderful opportunity to intern at Thrive DC, a DC non-profit that serves financially vulnerable and homeless individuals in Ward 1. Their mission is to provide services on two levels: emergency services and step-up services. Emergency services include hot meals, showers, mail, coat distribution, food pantry, and more. Thrive’s step-up services aim to create greater self-sufficiency so clients can transition into financial stability and independence; these services include sobriety counseling, mental health counseling, job training and certification, employment counseling, and more.

Thrive has also started a coalition and advocacy campaign focusing on changing the narrative around returning citizens. The coalition hosted its first in-person event in the fall of 2022 and is looking to host more events with even more targeted results. Overall, Thrive’s mission is to provide a judgment-free, accessible community where vulnerable individuals can go for low-barrier services in times of crisis.

This fall, I was Thrive DC’s Development Intern. Thrive DC is split into two teams; the programs team works as case managers and run the emergency and step-up services, while the development team engages donors, volunteers, and government funders to create relationships that build a broader supportive community for clients.

During my time as the Development Intern, I worked on many different projects. I developed a social media content calendar and ran the social media channels for about three months, including starting the organization’s Instagram Reels channel. I also had several awesome opportunities to further expand my writing skills, such as when I authored two grant proposals and when I managed the organization’s Story of Hope email campaign for two months.

My favorite part about interning was incorporating into a team that provided me with opportunities to think about my career after graduation. I learned about development, communication, grant management, and the small non-profit work life– all of which I never would have been able to really experience in a traditional classroom.

What was your favorite part about living in DC this semester?

My favorite part about living in DC this semester was getting to explore so many different activities. I go to school in small-town Minnesota, so if I want to do something on the weekend, my options are mostly just going to the park or going to a movie. In DC, you could just take the metro to a random stop and walk around, or you could ask Google what is going on in DC this weekend, and you’d have so many different options to explore.

I have one recommendation that I think is a must-do activity because it holds such a special place in my heart. When you get to DC everyone says you need to go see the monuments at night. My friends and I didn’t get around to doing that. But then it was my last night in DC, my flight was at 7 in the morning, and we were all together in an apartment not wanting to say goodbye. So, one of my friends suggested I cancel my taxi for the next morning, we all get up at 4 am, drive out to the Lincoln Memorial, watch the sunrise, and then they would drive me to the airport. And we did just that. It’s my favorite memory from my time in DC.

That’s obviously not an everyday type thing though, so here are some of my more casual recommendations:

Food

Going to Eastern Market was a favorite Sunday morning activity of mine– I would go and buy baked goods from a lady who had a very small stand and they were always excellent. Then on my way out, I’d get a spinach and cheese empanada from the big empanada stand.

I’d highly, highly recommend Bagels Etc in Dupont Circle. My friend found this place when she came to visit me over Thanksgiving break from Minnesota, and then I went back several times over the rest of my time in DC.

If you’re looking for more of a dinner recommendation, Osteria Al Voro in Adams Morgan has the best pasta I’ve ever had.

For Places to Hang Out

My friends and I loved Red Bear Brewing Company. They have trivia, comedy shows, drag shows, and more, all of which are super cheap or even free admission.

Nature

If you’re in DC for the fall or spring I would strongly recommend doing the White House Garden Tour. Now, caveat, if you’re there for the gardens and are really super excited about the gardens (me!), you don’t actually get to look that closely at the gardens. BUT, it is cool to be on the White House grounds, see the gardens closer than you ever will, and be with that many other people.

I also loved the US Botanical Gardens in the middle of the city, especially my all-time favorite fountain (pictured).

And on a nice day, walking out to Gravelly Point Park (just a quick walk from the apartments), sitting on the rocks on the edge of the river, and reading a book in the sun is an amazing way to spend an afternoon.

Theater

I really enjoyed Synetic Theater, which is just down the street from the WII apartments. Their shows were pretty inexpensive in comparison to other theaters in the area, and both performances I saw were amazing.

While a little more expensive, Roundhouse Theater and Shakespeare Theater Company both had amazing, high-tech productions.

What advice do you have for future students?

I would recommend that students really be open as to what possibilities there are for internships – there are so many different interning opportunities in DC. There are positions that you didn’t even know existed until the internship coordinators help you find them. I would also recommend that students ask their Internship Seminar professor any and all questions they have about their career, situations that may come up in the workplace, and more. I had Dr. Barlow, and she genuinely helped clarify so much about my career–not in terms of what my job title will be, but in how I will live my life and what my values are.