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After much waiting, today I learned that I've been selected to be a member of Penn's Feldman Initiative volunteer team. Over spring break we will go do social work outreach to residents in Mississippi who are still struggling in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Very exciting! I've never been to the South...well, aside from northern Florida, if you count that, and, okay, Savannah for one day...but I've never been to the poor rural twangy South, so from a travel perspective alone I'm really excited.

As I understand it, our work will focus on talking with residents to assess their health and mental health needs; one of the reasons the Penn program began was to address survivors' high stress and emotional struggles, issues which receive little attention when concretes like reestablishing housing and public services are such a priority. After talking to peers who went on the winter break trip, more than anything I'm excited to get to connect with people and assist them in these areas in even some small way.

I'll keep you posted. And again.....Yay!