Getting ready for the big Health Fair!

Hi y'all:

We are busy busy busy getting ready for our Health Fair. After staying up late last night making our posters/signs for the fair (and taking a "study break" for an ice cream run in Waveland, about 10 miles away), we scurried up and down the coast picking up educational materials from American Heart, American Cancer, and American Lung Associations. Everyone was so generous and gave us lots of great stuff. We then picked up and carted back snacks for the event from a wonderful donor: 30 huge boxes boxes of bags of chips, 15 pallets of spring water, 5 crates each of granola bars and Oreos. And that's just the snacks! We just finished unloading two vans worth of bar-b-queing food for the event: hot dogs, burgers, chili fixings, and beaucoup paper products. We spent the day prepping materials that we will need for patient teaching and referral. Our excellent home visits and case-finding all week have sensitized us to the health needs of the community and shaping what we plan to do tomorrow. The publicity has been fantastic, and we are expecting a great turnout. Thankfully the weather is cooperating -- I never would have expected the flooded grounds from yesterday would have dried out, but a high pressure center has moved in voila! Dry ground! I saved one clean shirt for tomorrow -- my Red Cross shirt (now isn't that appropriate!). It's amazing how clean one can feel just brushing and flossing one's teeth (my dentist should read this blog!). Even a new port-o-potty is transformational. Who would have thought showering in sulfur-leaded water could feel refreshing, but indeed it does.

Looks like the staff from Hancock Medical Center will not be coming by today (not here yet, so doesn't look good) to drop off all of our equipment and supplies for the Fair, which means tomorrow morning will be a little hectic figuring out what we have and how we will organize ourselves. Hey, no biggie. After a managing a major hurricane, we can easily "deal" with anything.

I'll write tomorrow and let you know how things go. Dean Gelles from SP2 arrived last nighyt, toured today, and is staying in our barracks with us tonight. We have allocated the front of the barracks at "man town" so he will need to stake out a spot there. Yep, co-ed barracks.

See y'all soon!

Julie