The document summarizes the author's experience as a year-long intern at Misericordia, a nonprofit that supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As an intern, the author split their time between Misericordia's Developmental Training program, working directly with residents, and the Office of Human Resources. Through this experience, the author gained an understanding of Misericordia's positive impact on residents and the Chicago community by providing employment, programming and support. The internship helped the author meet their learning goals and solidified their interest in pursuing a career in the nonprofit sector.

1. My Experience as an Intern at Misericordia Heart of Mercy
Dorian Manion, Human Resources & Developmental Therapy Intern | Loyola University Chicago Class of 2018
Developmental Training
August - December 2017
Human Resources
August - May 2018
Why Misericordia Matters to Chicago
Misericordia’s Campus in Rogers Park Neighborhood of Chicago
Misericordia’s Hearts & Flour Bakery Brownies
Mayor Rahm Emanuel with Misericordia Resident
Introduction
Meeting my Learning Objectives
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
Contact
The mission of Misericordia is: “to
support children and adults with
intellectual and development disabilities
who choose our community by providing
the highest quality residential, training,
and employment services. We provide
the full continuum of care designed to
meet each person’s changing needs and
maximize his or her independence, self-
determination, interpersonal
relationships, and engagement in the
community.”
The Social Justice Internship is: “a year-
long, 250-275 hour internship
experience. Students will have the
opportunity to engage in significant
work at one of two Chicago non-profits:
Catholic Charities and Misericordia.
Through a competitive application
process, ten students will be selected and
move through the internship experience
in a cohort model.”
My experience as a Social Justice Intern:
as a intern at Misericordia, I had the
opportunity to spend part of my time
working with residents in
Developmental Training, while also
working within the Office of Human
Resources. By splitting my time, I got to
know both residents and staff in two very
different, but equally important,
settings. In addition to this work, I met
regularly with other Social Justice
Interns during monthly class sessions,
where the group discussed a variety of
topics such as privilege, leadership,
citizenship, community building,
allyship, etc. All interns would also take
time to share about their internship
experiences throughout the year and
reflect on what a meaningful internship
experience should consist of.
Meet the 2017-2018 Loyola University
Chicago Social Justice Interns!
Misericordia serves as an important job
creator for Chicago residents, especially in
Rogers Park and local suburbs:
• Offers a variety of entry-level positions from laundry and
housekeeping to working directly with residents on a daily basis
• Seasonal positions in the Hearts & Flour Bakery and the
Misericordia Greenhouse Inn
• The HeART Studios require professionals who have a
background in art or design
• The Greco Gardens and Misericordia’s greenhouse are growing
programs which require staff who enjoy gardening and
horticulture
• Many administrative positions centered around fundraising and
marketing for Misericorida
• Opportunities for career advancement while overseeing staff
and residents
Misericordia enriches Chicago:
• Partnership with the Brookfield Zoo
• Breakfast with the Mayor
• Misericordia Family Fest
• Run the Chicago Marathon for Misericordia
• Misericorida’s Long Term Volunteering Program
• The Green Recycling Team
• Misericordia Jelly Belly Candy Days
By partnering with the Office of Human Resources and
working directly with residents, I gained a comprehensive
understanding of how important Misericoridia’s
employment opportunities are to neighborhood
applicants and residents alike. Additionally, I witnessed
an entire year of Misericordia’s programming, which
offers Chicago citizens a multitude of ways to get involved
with the non-profit’s mission!
For Misericordia, the Office of Human Resources can
be helpful for much more than simply processing
payroll or handling the open enrollment season once
a year. Human resources (HR) plays an essential role
in developing and maintaining Misericordia’s long
term sustainability and productivity as a non-profit.
As the human resources intern for the entire year, I
wanted to share the top five reasons I believe the
office is so important.
1. Employee Satisfaction: HR is usually charged with
the responsibility of determining the level of employee
satisfaction at a company. With intentional employee
interaction and staff development at Misericordia,
employee dissatisfaction is lessoned.
2. Cost Savings: The cost to hire new or replacement
workers, including training, can be very high for
employers. Misericordia’s well-constructed recruitment
and selection process within HR minimizes these
expenses.
3. Conflict Resolution: Workplace conflict is inevitable,
given the diversity of employees at Misericordia. The
HR staff are specially trained to identify and resolve
conflicts between two employees or a manager and
employee and restore positive working relationships.
4. Budget Control: HR prevents excessive spending
through developing methods for trimming workforce
management costs, which includes negotiating better
rates for benefits such as health care coverage at
Misericordia.
5. Steadfast Principles: HR ensures that the workforce
at Misericordia embraces the philosophies of quality of
life, connection, responsibility, and spirituality as they
work with residents in any capacity each day.
The Learning Objectives that I set at the beginning of the year
were as follows:
• As a result of interning at Misericordia, I will gain a deeper
understanding of how to conduct myself in a professional
setting, where challenges and conflict may arise.
I achieved this learning objective by observing Misericordia staff in
their daily work, asking questions when I was uncertain about office
policy, and always being receptive to feedback from my supervisor.
• As a result of interning at Misericordia, I will learn to
carefully evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of working
at a non-profit organization and apply this newly gained
knowledge to future work.
I achieved this learning objective by critically evaluating the work I was
doing at Misericordia and comparing my experiences to other
internships I have had in the past. Additionally, over the year, I
gathered an impression of what worked well at Misericorida and where
I could offer my skills to make small changes.
• As a result of interning at Misericordia, I will develop my
understanding of the long term impact that Misericordia
has had on the community of Chicago and the social justice
initiatives Misericordia aims to promote.
I achieved this learning objective through the various projects and
opportunities we had to share out as a cohort during the Social Justice
Internship course. I did not understand the importance or impact that
Misericordia has had on the Chicago community initially, but as I
continued to spend time at the nonprofit, the mission of Misericordia
became engrained within me too.
I can share with a high degree of certainty that I have
met or exceeded my understanding of each learning
objective I set out as a priority last fall. I learned
them through my unique internship experience,
where I worked closely with residents and staff at
Misericordia.
As I prepare to graduate and move on with life after Loyola, I
will be forever grateful for the opportunity I have had to
service as a Social Justice Intern at Misericordia. The
experience was challenging and uncomfortable at times, but I
have grown immensely as a person because of my
involvement. When I first began at Misericordia, it was quite
an adjustment from other internships I had completed in
Chicago. Although I had worked with marginalized
populations before, working with the residents at Misericordia
was a unique opportunity. By applying myself and sticking to
my commitment to the Social Justice Internship program, I
eventually found my place at Misericordia.
In fact, the year-long program has led me to pursue a year of
service after graduation and changed my perspective on the
work I eventually want to do as I begin to explore my career. I
hope to carry the memories I have gained with me for years to
come!
As an intern within the very important
Developmental Training program at Misericordia, I
spent my time working with residents directly on a
variety of projects. For the first ten weeks of the
semester, I rotated between each Developmental
Training program offered at Misericorida, while
working with residents ranging in ability. From art
projects for the Brookfield Zoo, to learning how to
fold laundry, every day spent with the residents was a
wonderful learning experience for me. My supervisor
wanted me to gain a bigger picture of the depth of
programming offered at Misericordia for a variety of
residents.
Finally, I settled on working within the Graceful
Living community at Misericordia. As adults with
developmental disabilities begin to live longer and
healthier lives due to advancements in medicine and
a cultural shift, Misericordia has adapted their
programming to ensure that residents of all ages are
given the best possible care. Working within Graceful
Living was an incredibly meaningful experience for
me, and I was happy to spend time talking, dancing,
and eating with residents each day.
Misericordia’s Developmental Training program is
just one of the reasons that the non-profit is so
unique. Like many families who send their loved
ones to Misericorida, I witnessed first-hand the level
of care and attention each resident is given during
their daily activities each week.
• I would like to thank my direct supervisors, Lorraine
Cobbs, and Tina Stendardo, at Misericordia, whom I
worked with closely. I would also like to thank the entire
Office of Human Resources for making me feel like a
welcome member of the team throughout the year!
• I would like to thank Andrew Miller for his leadership
throughout our course and dedication to the Social Justice
Internship program at Loyola University Chicago.
• I would like to thank Loyola University Chicago for
supporting and promoting a program which incentivizes
students to begin working within their communities and
engaging in challenging dialogue with their peers.
Dorian Manion
Major: Enivonmenal Science
Minors: Political Science and
Sustainable Business Management
Email: dmanion@luc.edu
References
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/huppke/ct-misericordia-cookie-huppke-20160309-story.html
https://www.luc.edu/experiential/featuredinitiatives/socialjusticeinitiatives/socialjusticeinternship/
https://www.misericordia.com/about/default.aspx
https://www.misericordia.com/UserFiles/file/MisericordiaAnnualReport2011sm.pdf