my sitka saga
Sitka is home to just under 9,000 people, myself included!  Even though Sitka is in Alaska, the weather is  not horribly cold all of the time. 
Instead, Sitka receives an ample amount of rain, which nourishes the incredible landscapes and wildlife it is known for. 
It is a tourist hub in the summer but a tight-nit community throughout the year, with plenty of festivals, concerts, and activities for everyone. 
I could not be happier to be spending this year of my life in such a beautiful place.

The Jesuit Volunteer Corps

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JVC Northwest engages women and men in a transforming experience of full-time volunteer service.  Jesuit Volunteers serve for a year or more in solidarity with persons living on the margins of society and with vulnerable places in the Pacific Northwest.  Rooted for over fifty years in the Jesuit Catholic tradition emphasizing spiritual openness and depth, Jesuit Volunteers in the Northwest examine and act on the causes of social and environmental injustice to promote peace and structural change.  Jesuit Volunteers live in communities that commit to simple living embodying a healing and sustainable presence on the Earth.

Over the years, the experience of volunteers and their reflection on that experience have been distilled into four values: community, simple living, social justice and spirituality. JVs make a commitment to the JVC Northwest program and to their service placements to strive to live these four interconnected values.

(http://www.jvcnorthwest.org/about-JVC-mission.php)