Community Health Partnership - in fabric panels

[Lydia Guel]

How we've been structuring the activity at our local events is that the welcoming/opening speaker (usually me or one of my close colleagues who know the project well) goes over the event agenda, housekeeping stuff, and then introduces the project which is tabled outside of the room. We tell Tony's story of how he came up with the concept (I have an intro script already written for anyone who is interested; just let me know) and then we invite local providers to stop by the table later in the day or during a break to participate. I have also put together 14 panels of squares so far that I have been hanging on a clothesline behind the table.

On the table, there are the materials (squares of fabric, pens), and a looping slide show (Power Point slideshow was too big to send in an email – see below) that gives them instructions and examples of other folks' contributions:

You have 1 file(s) called WDYDWYDSlides.pps from [e-mail] waiting for download. You can click on the following link to retrieve your file. The link will expire in 7 days and will be available for 100 number of downloads.
Link: http://download.yousendit.com/E4CCF6F5254566C9

Since I put together this looping slide show for the table a few months ago, I have gathered several more photos/squares that I have not yet incorporated. Most of them are from local healthcare workers, but there was one big event focused on "healthy families/communities" where we invited the community to participate as well. Of course, I will group these in separate panels when I sew them just in case we want to pull them out for specific events.

[Tony Deifell]

This is so cool, Lydia. It's amazing all the great modifications you've made to the project.

I can't wait to see it all sewn together!

[Lydia Guel]

Also, for anyone who might be interested, here is the script that I have invited my colleagues in the field of healthcare throughout the South San Francisco Bay Area to use when introducing the project:

My name is ____ (brief introduction). Community Health Partnership invites each of you to participate in a 10-minute exercise that will hopefully cause you to reflect on your personal motivation, feel inspired, and get to the root of why you do what you do.

This project recently began in the South Bay Area by an inspired colleague of mine, Lydia Guel, who is involved in an artistic movement called “W.D.Y.D.W.Y.D.”

The original artist, Tony Deifell, was in his office late one night when a child randomly chose Tony’s number out of the telephone book and called it, blurting out, “Why do you do what you do?” The kid was simply on assignment from his school teacher to interview someone from a community service agency. It was the last thing Tony expected to hear. Tony worked for a non-profit organization, and he was used to explaining in grand and overly sophisticated terms why the organization he worked for did what it did. He had become quite good at talking to funders and writing grants with big theories and detailed plans. Yet he had lost touch with the simplicity behind his work’s mission and values.

Lydia is leading a local movement of healthcare providers, promotoras, and grassroots advocates for underserved communities to help us answer this question. Here’s how you can help:
• I will now distribute a fabric square on which you will answer the question “Why Do You Do What You Do?” in your own words. You may interpret that question however you like, but we encourage you to think outside of the box, be creative, and speak from your heart.
• You may use SEVEN words or less only.
• Write LARGE so that your square may be seen from afar. The squares will be stitched together in long curtain-like strips and hung on clotheslines for display at various Partnership events including the San Jose Tech Museum’s Body Worlds exhibit on December 21st, the HIV Care & Prevention Conference on May 6th, and several other events.
• Leave a 1” margin around the border to allow room for stitching.
• I will collect all squares before I leave today.

For more information:
• Lydia Guel, Director of HIV Services at Community Health Partnership
• www.wdydwyd.com