The first Health Care for the Homeless Week begins three weeks from now, on March 21. Health care for the Homeless (HCH) projects across the country will be publicizing their work and promoting their policy perspectives with various events. If your project’s activities are not already listed below, there’s still plenty of time to put together a simple but effective event; please see the HCH Week manual at www.nhchc.org. And please let us know your plans by simply responding to this e-mail – we’ll be proud to add you to the growing list.
Because tuberculosis remains a serious health threat for homeless persons, you may want to tie your event to the March 24 World TB Day being promoted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Coalition to Eliminate Tuberculosis. World TB Day information is included below.
You know the value and the importance of Health Care for the Homeless. HCH Week is an opportunity to make that value clear to your community, to policy-makers, and perhaps even to those you work with every day. Please let me know if we can assist you in planning HCH Week activities.
Thanks,
John Lozier
National Health Care for the Homeless Council
HCH Week Activities as of 3/1/05
Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless, Albuquerque NM: Open house and tour for state & federal legislators, commemorating 20th anniversary of the project.
North Broward County Hospital District, Ft Lauderdale FL: sock & underwear drive.
Los Angeles Mission, Los Angeles CA: foot washing event with 60 volunteers and 300 clients.
Health Care for the Homeless, Baltimore MD: 20th anniversary event at Visionary Art Museum.
Metropolitan Development Council, Tacoma WA: sock drive.
Camillus Health Concern, Miami FL: media highlighting role of consumers, sock drive through Archdiocese; resolution of County Commission.
Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, Boston MA: sock drive and other activities.
Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Denver CO: 20th anniversary event for the Stout Street Clinic including a reception and a press conference tied to current political issues.
The Harris County Hospital District, Houston TX: tour of its facilities for legislators with press coverage.
The Crusaders Central Clinic Association, Rockford IL: a reception for the opening of a “Day in My Life” photo exhibition, featuring photos taken by clients with disposable cameras provided by HCH.
Fourth Street Clinic, Salt Lake City UT: first Annual Neighborhood Block Party at a nearby art gallery; 3-part lecture series with the Salt Lake City Public Library called “Moving Forward: How Salt Lake City Will End Homelessness in Ten Years.”
World TB Day – March 24
March 24 is World TB Day every year and this year will be no exception. World TB Day is an occasion for people around the world to raise awareness about the international health threat presented by tuberculosis (TB). It is a day to recognize the collaborative efforts of all countries involved in fighting TB. TB can be cured, controlled, and, with diligent efforts and sufficient resources, eventually eliminated. The National Coalition for the Elimination of Tuberculosis urges health departments and TB health care providers and other partners to collaborate nationally and locally to plan and conduct TB-related educational and advocacy activities. CDC and the Global STOP TB are also urging you to plan events for this day. Information about your World TB Day events may be submitted to advocacy@stoptb.org. The STOP TB Fact Sheet for World TB Day and additional information about global efforts for this day may be found at: http://www.stoptb.org/worldtbday05announcement.asp
CDC would also like to hear about events and activities being planned around World TB Day and post them on the 2005 World TB Day section of the CDC TB Web site. To list your event or activity on the CDC TB website, e-mail Scott McCoy at Smccoy1@cdc.gov to obtain a World TB Day event form. Resources available from CDC include examples of past World TB Day events and links to World TB Day planning resources, fact sheets, beautiful TB posters (two in English and two in Spanish), and other materials that can be of assistance in 2005 World TB Day activities. Please visit the World TB Day section of the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/tb/.