The BigHouse Foundation

The BigHouse Foundation is a nonprofit in Opelika, AL that serves foster and adoptive families across East Alabama. As an intern, I assist with daily office tasks, plan and execute events, work in the boutique, and interact with the foster children and families that BigHouse works with. A few of the main events that I have planned and executed over the course of my semester at BigHouse include Kids Night Outs, Camp Agape, Glitz Glam and Gowns, our annual support dinner with a silent auction, and the Swimsuit and Towel Drive.

Support Dinner

BigHouse put on their annual support dinner to raise money for our nonprofit. I, along with the other interns, planned and prepared a silent auction for this dinner. We additionally helped to execute this event in the planning process. At this dinner, we were able to raise over $55,000 for the BigHouse Foundation.

Glitz, Glam, and Gowns

This event is one that we put on for teenage girls in foster care where they can come pick out a prom dress and accessories. As an intern, helped to plan this event and get the dresses ready for it. Additionally, I was able to help the girls find a prom dress at the event.

Kids Night Out

Each month, BigHouse puts on a kids night out event where parents can drop off their kids for a few hours. We plan stations, crafts, and games for the children to do while they are there. I love being able to interact with the BigHouse kids at this event and further pour into the relationships have created.

BigHouse Boutique

One of the day-to-day aspects of this internship is working the boutique. Each foster family is able to get ten items from the boutique per child each month. This is one of the best parts of this internship as I am able to learn from and communicate with the families. I love being able to help in such a tangible way through the boutique.

What I learned:

Over the course of my internship, I have gained invaluable skills in interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and event planning. Working at a nonprofit means learning new skills every day to serve the needs of the community around me. I have been able to learn how to adapt my own skills to serve our families in whatever way that they need. I have additionally learned about the foster care system as a whole. I have a better understanding of the services of DHR and the daily life of a family who is fostering a child. I will be able to use these skills that I have gained and my understanding of the needs of foster families within my career as a Counselor. I have seen the need for trauma-informed professionals within the lives of both foster children and their families. As I have a better understanding of the need for informed counselors, I will use the skills I have gained to translate into my career as a Counselor.