October

Monthly community service hours: 8.5 hours

Cumulative community service hours: 13 hours


Volunteering for KIPP continues to be a rewarding experience.  Each week, Priyanka, Rebecca, and I head over after class to help with organizational duties that the teachers are struggling to complete with their busy work schedules.  Last week’s KIPP stint felt especially productive.  Each classroom ordered a number of essential supplies (i.e. hand sanitizer, pencils, tissues, graph paper, etc.) that we personally handed off to the teachers.  During each delivery we had a moment where we got to peer into the day to day activities of KIPP students.  Music is a constant in their learning environment, as well as group communication and participation.  Additionally, we’ve helped some of the staff set up bulletin boards in their classrooms where teachers will present student activities and work.  I look forward to setting up some more and contributing to the classroom aesthetic.

In terms of academics, things are still going really well!  Thankfully it has started to get a bit easier working two jobs as I fall into the groove of things.  Urgent care is as busy as ever: flu season has begun, and we are seeing up to 70 patients a day.  Get your flu shots y’all.

As for the future, I have applied to a couple other volunteer projects to work in tandem with KIPP.  I am an avid gardener so the one I am most excited about and eager to get involved with is Grow Dat Youth Farm.  Grow Dat is an organization that has built a sustainable farm in City Park where they grow and harvest a significant amount of fresh produce.  This produce is then either sold at farmers markets or distributed out to low-income residents (specifically those with children) who have little access, if any, to fresh food.  The program is also primarily youth based, providing New Orleans kids with opportunities for leadership skills and involvement in their community.