On Friday, October 30, Project MORE successfully hosted halloWELLness, a Halloween-themed health fair and pop-up clinic. This first-of-its-kind event in Downtown San Jose provided a safe and affirming opportunity for LGBTQ+ people, their families, and allies to receive FREE COVID-19 testing, vaccinations, and wellness resources.
“For those who might not otherwise feel comfortable going to a medical provider, either because they’ve had issues they’ve experienced or simply out of fear, this is really a first of a kind thing around here certainly,” noted Project MORE President & COO, Nathan Svoboda.
According to a survey conducted by The Hill, 29% of transgender adults had been refused care and 9% of LGBTQ+ reported that physicians had used harsh and abusive language in general treatment. Events like HalloWELLness are essential to changing these statistics, and to promoting & providing continued wellness support for our LGBTQ+ community. This is especially crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many members of our community may be experiencing extenuated feelings of isolation.
The event had a wonderful turnout of community members who were seeking a festive health fair to get tested for COVID-19, get their flu shot, and more. We were able to distribute our Protect-o Packs and Wellness Toolkits to more than 100 attendees, which included hand sanitizers, reusable masks, fidget spinners, rainbow toothbrushes, stress-relief toys, and coloring and cooking books.
“This event is a great example of inclusion and equity in action. From the data, we know that health care settings that are not affirming can be challenging for LGBTQ patients,” said Santa Clara County Office of LGBTQ Affairs Director Maribel Martínez. “But, hALLoWELLness is a wonderful reminder that we belong here, and we deserve to live a long and healthy life.”
We would like to thank our partners— Santa Clara County Office of LGBTQ Affairs, the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department, and Safeway for answering the LGBTQ+ community’s call for help. Thank you as well to the Knight Foundation and Avenidas for providing supportive funding to make this opportunity possible.
If you were unable to attend the event, fear not! There are plenty of ways to access important screenings, immunizations, and resources offered at hALLoWELLness with and without insurance. To learn how, visit the resources page of our website for more information.