Jenna Patel joined FCCP in April 2022 as a Program Coordinator and is extremely excited to work for an organization that centers their work around building an equitable democracy and achieving intersectional racial justice. Jenna served as an AmeriCorps VISTA in Buffalo, NY where she was able to help The Community Action Organization’s (CAO) Housing Development Office build program capacity and develop a resident-engaged neighborhood-level improvement plan on Buffalo’s East Side. Prior to serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA, Jenna graduated from Rutgers University in May 2020 as a Public Health major, as well as a Planning and Public Policy minor. Throughout her college career, Jenna held several roles that revealed the true magnitude and depth of inequities shaping systematically oppressed communities, including her roles as a Research Assistant for The Essex and Passaic Health and Wellness Coalition and Director for Rutgers Model Congress. Jenna’s ideal day involves taking a spontaneous trip to the thrift store, going on a mini food crawl, and doing any and all things thrill-inducing!