By Stephanie Aines | Director of Organizing and Training
Like so many organizations and networks across the country, COVID sent us scrambling. How would the virus impact our trainings and our actions, which have always happened in person? We quickly realized that the two biggest plagues to our community because of the COVID-19 are confusion and loneliness. Many of our members felt saturated by information coming out about the virus, and didn't know where to turn for updated and accurate information. Many of us are also lonely, since we aren't able to see anybody besides those we live and work with. Even though most states are opening up again, as a community dedicated to public health, and believing in patients over profits, we will continue to be remote for the time being. We decided that the Right Care Alliance should, for now, organize events and digital actions focused on combating confusion with information, and addressing loneliness with building relationships and community.
Starting in early April, we have been holding COVID Community Town Halls aimed on educating how the virus spreads and is transmitted. We talk about epidemiology, early stories of covid and how it spread, and what everybody can do to minimize our risk. These Town Halls evolve as new research comes out, and as people have new and different questions.
Right Care Boston has been organizing Grief Vigils. These are a space for people to share stories of loved ones lost to COVID, to talk about anger and pain at white supremacy and police brutality, and also to discuss feelings that seem less traumatic, but are also important and in our minds and hearts right now. We've talked about missing graduations, weddings and funerals, and the pain of being separated from our friends, families and communities right now.
Meanwhile, Right Care DC realized that COVID tests are not accessible to many people in the city of DC or Montgomery County right now. They have been leading a campaign to get make these tests available to people who live in these places and need them.
We have started a new Elder and Long-Term Care Council, dedicated to supporting residents of these facilities to have access to their loved ones.
We have increased our Study Groups so that we now have 5 teams meeting monthly online to strengthen their understanding of the complexities of health care. Study groups read a section of the RCA Call for a New Health System, a few articles related to a certain theme, and discuss.
If you'd like to get involved in any of these projects, reach out to us at organize@rightcarealliance.org! As always, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support, which makes all of this possible.
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