February Update

February Hours: 12
Cumulative Semester Hours: 30

The end of February makes it clear how quickly the spring semester is moving. I am glad to have the first Cellular Control exam behind me so I know what to expect, and I’m looking forward to this module since much of the material feels familiar -- especially the material on opioids and anesthetics from my interventional pain background.

This month, I continued volunteering by cooking for the community fridges and delivering food at the locations on Jackson and on St. Charles near Tulane’s Uptown campus. I’ve done this several times now, and each time the fridges are empty when I arrive. While it’s meaningful to contribute directly to my community, it’s also a visible reminder of the level of food insecurity in nearly every uptown neighborhood. I’m hoping to join the Irish Channel Cooks volunteer group as well, which delivers meal trays to families throughout the week. I also helped grocery shop for a woman with a work-related injury who was not able to make it to the grocery store. We connected on Facebook after she made a post in a community page asking for help. She was such a nice person who just needed a helping hand this month. I was so happy to be able to assist her. 

Food insecurity has always been an important cause to me, not only because of nutrition, but because of the stability that reliable access to food can bring to a home. Not knowing where your next meal is coming from adds a layer of stress and instability that touches everything else. If providing meals or groceries can ease financial strain, help students concentrate in school, or reduce stress for families, that contributes to overall wellness and dignity in ways that go far beyond the meal itself.

Next month, I hope to get back to my work with Freestanding Communities, too. I definitely missed working with patients at Oznam Inn this month!

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