This past weekend, Alternate ROOTS (the organization I work for), joined forces with C4 Atlanta and WonderRoot to create a Health Day for Artists. We were each inspired for different reasons to support our local arts community in this way. Personally, my driving force was all the fundraising we’ve had to do for our artists at ROOTS when they come upon a devastating illness, most notably Jo Carson. It’s never made sense to me that, in anyone’s time of most extreme need of physical illness, they are also faced with mounting financial debt and the stress that entails. I always think about that in rural restaurants when I see those cardboard card standups where you can add a quarter to someone’s diabetes or cancer fund. Those quarters seem so hopeful and so ridiculous to me.
Anyway, in an effort to try and support our local artists that was somewhere between the cardboard coin collector and systemic healthcare reform, we hosted a day for our artists, that included a health resource fair, lecture/demonstrations, biometric health screenings, and a speaker about the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) and how it will hopefully improve our support to individuals and small businesses.
Our local NPR station came and did a great follow-up story about the day. Please read and/or listen to it here.