I am a licensed acupuncturist in the state of Rhode Island. I chose a really bad economic year to start my practice. People are not lining up at my door for treatments and I am feeling stymied. I am also collecting SSI due to my bipolar disorder. My acupuncture work is the only avenue that I can see to get myself off the economic and social scrap heap and into a vital relationship with my neighboring community.
Tonight I have decided to take a creative step and volunteer significant time at a community clinic of the western medical variety, in Newport, where the poverty rate is quite high and many medical needs go unmet.
I feel good about this decision. It's my first real inspiration since trying to get my practice off the ground in February of this year.
Having a skill and not being able to use it is something that lots of folks can relate to in this economy. It has taken four months of feeling useless to push me to this breakthrough.
I worked in community clinics during my masters degree training, so I know there is always a need. And I look forward to establishing relationships with clients and coworkers in this health care setting.
Best case senario is that I could somehow work long enough at this position to become an asset and then parlay that status into a state or federal grant to continue the work long term.
Any ideas out there in Kos land on how to go about the potential grant writing? Or does that sound like a pipe dream.
Worst case scenario is that I will be able to help people on a daily basis and take my place as a worker among workers in a low income community clinic.