Introducing....

Hey ya'll!! Welcome to the SJW blog page. We are writing to ya from the hot, interesting, and incredibly diverse city of New Orleans...affectionately referred to as N'awlins by many locals who harbor an awesome southern twang. As it states in the header of this page, this is the St. Joseph Worker Program's first year ever in New Orleans, thus this blog is meant to inform the congregation of Sister's, our friends and family, as well as any interested readers of how the year is developing. My name is Traci, and I am writing this first post. But, for future posts, don't be suprised as voices change and we all contribute our own renditions of what it means to take on a year of volunteerism through this program.

Okay so, since we only moved into our home one week ago, our jobs have not yet begun. We just completed a week of orientation with our Director, Jackie Schmitz (CSJ) and other extremely wonderful people of the area. Each day of orientation we focused on a different pillar of the program.

In light of the fact that we do not have any work experience to reflect upon yet, I thought it would be nice to introduce the team of workers and where we will be working!

Rebekah Clark graduated from West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV in May, 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. While gaining experience as a telemetry nurse in a hospital setting, she is also passionate about education and care for those who cannot afford healthcare. She has volunteered as an Emergency Relief Worker with the Red Cross. Born in Minneapolis, she has also lived in Chicago and Hampton, Virginia. She loves spending time with family and friends, and is a supporter of animals and the environment. Rebekah will be working as a nurse care manager at the Carrollton Medical Center as well as visiting other healthcare locations for training, orientation and professional experiences.

Becky Kleive graduated from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN in May, 2009 with a double major in Women’s Studies and Environmental Studies. While in college, Becky also engaged in an off-campus study experience called “The Oregon Extension,” which is a program teaching intentional community-building in a remote, mountainous environment. Her creative leadership at St. Olaf’s included co-directing the Vagina Monologues, hosting a radio talk show and educating audiences around the environment. Becky is passionate about education, community organizing and direct service work. This summer, she spent some time visiting her father (who is in the Peace Corps) in Samoa. Becky will be working with the St. Vincent De Paul Adult Learning Center for Empowerment. Rian Kistner graduated from the University of Dayton in Dayton, OH in May, 2009 with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and a minor in Music. Rian is passionate about using her gifts and leadership skills to assist in community growth. In recent years, she has used these gifts in many ways, from serving as a Team Leader for the Teens Encounter Christ program and Music Ministry Leader in Dayton’s Campus Ministry Department to serving as President of Dayton’s chapter of the Society of Women Engineer’s and as an International Living and Learning Community Member. As a St. Joseph Worker, Rian will work with the Community Center of St. Bernard as a Community Service Advocate as a direct contact with community members seeking assistance to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Traci Salisbury graduated from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY in May, 2008 with a major in International Business and a minor in Global Studies. Traci’s optimistic nature and zest for life support her passion for “servant leadership” and community involvement. Traci has served as a hospitality assistant at a women’s shelter with the Mercy Volunteer Corps, a facilitator with Just Faith Ministries for teens, a Soup Kitchen Volunteer, and a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. Traci will be working with Lowernine, an agency dedicated to teaching home rebuilding to volunteers and community residents; facilitating access to social services; working with youth; and experimenting with models of sustainable economic development in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, LA. *** So, yeah, that is the four of us in a nut shell! We will be posting as our adventure continues to unfold! Lastly we would like to take the time to send out a huge thank you to all the people who put their heart and soul into our program, especially Judy Minear (CSJ) and Karen Salsbery (CSJ). Without their passion for this new frontier, none of us would be blessed with this opportunity to grow. Thank you so much!