It feels like this past week just flew by in an instant, and that it was yesterday, not last weekend, when I was last in this library typing an update. Time flies when you're busy, I guess. I found myself struggling this week to remember what day it was. I think that's because I'm getting so used to my weekday routine that the days just kind of blur together. This week did have its highlights, however:

Tuesday morning I was at a farmer's market in that the food bank runs weekly right out in front of the building. It's a great resource for people who qualify for low-income or senior food vouchers, because they can pick up their vouchers in the warehouse and then use them to get local, healthy produce just out the door.

Some of the seasonal produce: lots of squash and cucumbers

It also was a nice break from working inside the office on a computer (although it's air-conditioned inside...). One thing I appreciate about the food bank is that the employees think it's important to know at least a little bit about all aspects of the organization. So even though my primary role is not with the farmer's markets, I was encouraged to help out with it and learn. My supervisor, for example, recommended I also accompany a truck driver when he or she takes food boxes out to rural areas. These trips usually take an entire day, which would mean a day that I wouldn't be learning about food stamps, but I would be learning about another program (food boxes) that perhaps I could recommend to folks who aren't eligible for food stamps, say. Also, on Wednesday, we had an all-staff meeting that included singing "Happy Birthday" to everyone who has a birthday in August, and a "sharing" time, where anyone could make an announcement about something personal or work-related. What I'm trying to say is that the food bank is a really friendly place.

Last night my casamates and I went to an outdoor showing of the movie MASH in a downtown park. There were maybe a hundred people in outdoor seating, popcorn was provided, and the whole event was free, donations welcome. Movies are shown weekly for about four months in the fall and spring. Cinema La Placita, as it's called, is in its 11th year. Cool!

The Catalina mountains, viewed from the northwest.

Today my boss took me and another co-worker on a field trip, you might say. Our trip took us all the way around the other side of the Catalina mountains (pictured) and so it was a great opportunity for me to get outside of the city. We went to a meeting of women who have formed a group with the purpose of supporting and educating each other regarding child-rearing and community involvement. They were interested in the possibility of starting a farmer's market in their area, and they had some questions about food stamps to which I was able to respond with at least a partial answer. Again, it was nice to do something other than type on the computer and answer phone calls. I hope I can keep up this balance of being in the office and out of the office through the year!

There is talk in the house of going hiking this weekend! I'll let you know how it goes.

Jeff

One week in...

Hey everyone!

We inhabitants of Casa Nacho have successfully completed our first week in Tucson! Here are some of my highlights:

1. The food bank. It's a really great place. I work with people who care about what they do more than getting the paycheck. My boss is a former community organizer, is from Peru, and has a lot of great experience and wisdom. And the food bank has a garden!

A view of the demonstration Nuestra Tierra garden at the food bank. They sell this produce at farmer's markets!

2. Harvesting cucumbers, peppers, and watermelon early in the morning at a local farm managed by the food bank, and then selling this produce later at a farmer's market. The farm I was at is just outside of Tucson, and a lot bigger than the garden in the picture above.

3. Going out last night with my housemates to the "place to be" in Tucson: 4th ave. We met up with some young teachers doing a Catholic teaching program kind of like Teach For America. New friends!

4. Taking turns cooking and enjoying pretty good meals on a tight budget. This first week we had: couscous and roasted squash, veggie stir-fry, some delicious pasta, and a chard-potato frittata.

5. Relaxing in our air-conditioned house, reading the Poisonwood Bible, or playing cards with Jen, Erin, and Kaitlyn. It's starting to feel more like home now :)

Picture!

Me, Kaitlyn, Erin, and Jen

This is us! Casa Ignacio Ellacuría, or just Nacho for short. As you can tell, we're in a library (Kate, I'll get a real library card as soon as I have proof of residence!), because our house doesn't have any internet access. So, I'll post a picture of the house later. By the way, our house's address is 1030 Unit B N. 13th Ave Tucson AZ 85705. That's a little different from what we were told earlier, so if you're going to send anything, make sure you get it right! Our house is, in a word, great. I was not expecting that our support community, including former JVs and friends of JVs, would not only furnish our house with beds and furniture, but stock our kitchen with cooking equipment, fill the closets with sheets and towels, install a washer and dryer, give us artwork to decorate with, and even plan activities for us during our first weekend here! Needless to say, I feel welcome in Tucson.

Cecelia, a former JV, drove us to our respective agencies yesterday, so I got to see the food bank! It's enormous, with about 100 on staff, and they had a shopping cart full of food for our house! I'm excited to start work there on Monday.

I'll post more later! Have a great day,

Jeff

New adventure, same blog

Hey all you loyal blog-followers (aka Mom and Dad),

So I'm changing the focus of this blog. Any post written before this one is about my trip to Bolivia and Peru a few months ago. Any post written after this one is about my year as a Jesuit Volunteer in Arizona. The reason I'm not changing the whole blog is to make things (I hope) less confusing.

I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported me in one way or another so that I could go on this learning adventure. Many of you donated to my fundraising page. Thanks to you, I was able to exceed my fundraising goal. Your generosity astounded me. Mom and Dad, thanks for a great going-away party, and for being willing to help me with random errands these last few days. Other family and friends, thanks for taking the time to see me in person or send me a note to wish me well. It means a lot to know I have a supportive community here.

I'm at the Portland airport about to fly to orientation with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in California. Oh, Portland. I'll miss your rain and your green trees. Five days from now I'll be in Arizona, specifically Tucson ("TOO-sawn"), walking into my new home for the year. My computer's dictionary offers this helpful tidbit about Tucson: "a city in southeastern Arizona, population 486,699. Its desert climate makes it a tourist resort." So that's where I'm headed. A touristy desert, haha.

Talk to you later,
Jeff