. >> reporter: felix rivera called on his neighbors and local businesses to raise thousands of dollars so he could spend the summer in washington d.c. he's interning here at catholic news service, a wire service that provides news to the catholic press. he's hoping this will lead to a full-time job. >> they have me doing all sorts of work. lots of reporting, lots of writing. i've been able to get my name in newspapers around the country. >> reporter: rivera isn't getting paid, but his supervisor julie asher, relies on him to write stories and fill in for employees while they're on vacation. >> really, the main benefit is to actually have them out covering stories that we need covered. >> reporter: catholic news service is a non-profit group, and under fair labor laws, it can use rivera's work without paying him. but for-profit companies have different rules. the labor department recently reminded employers unpaid internships must be purely educational. in other words, companies can't benefit from the work of interns-- unless they're paying for it. ross eisenbrey at the economic policy