Download an Application: Intern & LIV Application (Word Document)
WHRI trains individuals who feel called to service in developing countries and wish to acquire skills in sustainable farming, community development and Christian missions. Interns work and study for one year on our 40-acre farm in central Texas, followed by an optional three-month experience in a developing country.
Goals of Our Internship Program
- Develop skills in sustainable agricultural production and problem-solving
- Learn approaches to community development, cross-cultural communication, and adult education
- Develop a holistic approach to Christian missions
- Understand the socio-political contexts of world hunger and identify appropriate Christian responses
- Become familiar with food technology, nutrition and health issues
How Interns Learn
The WHRI farm produces organic vegetables, milk, eggs, meat, and organic pecans for sale in the local market. Interns are, therefore, involved in all aspects of running a working farm (planning, production, research, marketing, etc.). We try as much as possible to utilize production techniques appropriate to developing-world settings. These include composting, cover cropping, biointensive integrated pest management, drip irrigation, multi-species rotational grazing, pastured poultry, etc.
In addition to farm work, interns are involved in leading school tours, teaching classes, and speaking to church and community groups. Those interns who choose to participate in the optional 3-month international internship will be encouraged to raise support through fund-raising activities. Following their 13 months on our farm, interns may also choose to learn skills in animal traction through a one-month exchange agreement with Tillers International in Kalamazoo, MI. All these experiences are integral to the learning of the intern.
To supplement their practical learning, interns attend classroom lessons two afternoons per week. Curriculum for these lessons covers a broad range of topics, but centers on sustainable agriculture and Christian missions. Field trips are also organized to other farms, and interns are encouraged to attend short courses at other facilities in Texas and beyond. Click here to review the intern curriculum (Word format) or intern curriculum (pdf format) or our current class schedule.
What They Receive
WHRI provides interns with housing, utilities and staple foods. We try as much as possible to consume food produced on the farm including vegetables, fruit, grains, legumes, meat, eggs, milk, cheese & yogurt. Since some of this production is seasonal, it is supplemented by purchased staples. Non-staple foods may be purchased at the intern’s expense. We are located around 1 mile from a grocery store and post office and approximately 7 miles from downtown Waco.
In keeping with our emphasis on sustainable living, intern housing is simple but adequate. Our dormitory houses up to a dozen single interns and volunteers. In addition, we have limited housing for families. The dorm has a communal kitchen, and residents work together to keep the facility clean and healthful.
These intern Assistantships are available on a competitive, rotating basis for those individuals who wish to earn income beyond room and board. Assistantships provide a modest stipend ($500/month). Interns should plan to reserve a portion of this stipend for basic health insurance, which is required for all interns. It will be up to the intern to secure their own insurance, though we can offer assistance in figuring out which insurance policy may be best-suited for you.
Intern assistants are assigned management responsibilities and work hours in one of our income-generating enterprises:
Individuals with outside sponsorship, or adequate personal means, may wish to forgo assistantship responsibilities (and remuneration), and apply for our Live-In Volunteer Program.
Daily Schedule
| 6:30 am | Milking (rotates between community members) |
| 7:00 am | Breakfast |
| 8:00 am | Devotions and meeting for work assignments |
| 8:30 am | Daily Farm Work (weeding, planting, cleaning, etc.) |
| 12:30 pm | Lunch |
| 2:00 pm | Classroom Lessons (M, Th) or Work on Assistantship responsibilities (T, W, F) |
| 4:30 pm | Milking (rotates between community members) |
How to Apply
Download the Intern Application at the top of this page, and email inquiries or questions to our Training Manager. You may email your completed application to our Training Manager (trainingmanager@worldhungerrelief.org), or mail or fax hard copy to the Training Manager’s attention at the address or fax number provided below. Please make note of our application submission deadlines listed below.
Mail
World Hunger Relief, Inc.
P.O. Box 639
Elm Mott TX 76640
Fax
254-799-5611.
Submission Deadlines:
Please make note of our new application submission deadlines; these deadlines are effective for the May 2013 internship opportunities and after:
For May internships, applications must be received by WHRI no later than the November 1 prior.
For September internships, applications must be received by WHRI no later than the March 1 prior.
For January internships (with the exception of January 2013), applications must be received by WHRI no later than the July 1 prior.
Applications will be reviewed during the month following the application submission deadline, with internships being offered to applicants on or around the first day of the following month.