Happy Thanksgiving

Home, Sweet Home...
I needed this. But it is a culture shock.

Survey

So Tuesday morning and afternoon we finally took to the streets with our survey. It went really well. Everyone in Baptist Town was super friendly and supportive. The only trouble we had was catching people at home. We are going to survey on Saturday to try to catch the people we are missing throughout the week.
After getting some surveys collected, we had the problem of how to compile the data. Our sponsor has no plan for this. So, as usual, it was my charge to figure something out. For now I have a few master spreadsheets for us to enter our coded data into (I also set up a coding method). I have no idea if it is anywhere near to the right way to do it, but it's all we got right now.
Today we technically have off. We spent thsi morning touring the Viking factory and headquarters- a corporation with a really interesting history rooted in Greenwood. It was the nicest factory I have ever seen/imagined. All their plants are fully air conditioned and have big windows lining the walls so that people don't feel trapped. Also, instead of bells and whistles when there are problems on the lines (out of parts etc), each team has a different song that plays. I know I would appreciate the little things like that if I worked there. Also they only have one robot- everything else is still opporated by real humans. They have a 99% retention rate- slightly amazing.

Anyways I am relaxing in my apartment now which is much needed. I might head over to the office later to examine our database and figure out the best way to compile this data. I really wish we were working with someone who is familiar with research!

Reasearch Methods

So, when we arrived at this SPIKE, we found out that the survey that was originally set for us to use was absolutely not going to work. It was a full social work assessment which was extremely long and intrusive and didn't even get at the main point of the project. We spent the last week researching and writing a new survey to use when we go out into the communities. The final goal is to get a new clinic in the area. The clinic will have a sliding scale payment method so that people can afford it. It could change life here, allowing people who have never gone to a doctor to now have a primary care physician. We will be collecting the data that will go into the grant proposal to fund the clinic. We finally finished writing, editing and practicing the survey tonight! Off to start our door-to-door adventures tomorrow... Wish us luck!

"Where, after all, do human rights begin? In small places, close to home, so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of individual persons, the neighborhood they live in, the school they attend, the factory, farm or office they work in. Such are the places where every man, woman or child seeks equal justice, equal opportunities, and equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere."
-Eleanor Roosevelt

New Home

For Letters:
Casey McCue- AmeriCorps NCCC
36901 County Road 507
Itta Bena, Mississippi 38941
Apartment #124

If you are sending packages- send them to:
Casey McCue- AmeriCorps NCCC
36901 County Road 507
Itta Bena, Mississippi 38941
Clubhouse