Everyone Needs Health Care Fair couldn’t be more aptly named. It was organized and hosted by the Low Income Self-Help Center, which is located in San Jose’s Alma Neighborhood. I walked up to the center, and the first people I met were Ruth and Leah, who were facilitating children’s games in the parking lot in front of the community garden. They were both volunteering on behalf of the center, making sure that the kids who came out were well occupied so their caregivers could concentrate on the task at hand: finding a solution to our health care crisis. They had set up games in the parking lot outside the Center; in the background the vegetables at the community garden were slowly swelling in the sun.

The fair consisted of a row of tables covered by multi-lingual flyers, colorful pamphlets and free goodies camouflaging their informational utility. Each table voiced a specific concern of the community, from affordable child care close to home to affordable dental fillings in mobile clinics. While outreach representatives answered questions, doled out literature and took blood pressure tests, they also took the time to visit one another’s tables and network. Carol Dalrymple, from the Health Care for All - Silicon Valley Coalition, commented, “We have such a tight-knit community here in Santa Clara County.”

Lunch was prepared by Concha, another volunteer of the Low Income Self-Help Center. After eating the hearty and tasty chicken mole, rice, salad and watermelon, community members and health care activists alike gathered together for the Speak Out, which LISHC founder Peggy Elwell kicked off and facilitated. People stood up and voiced their reasons they came to the fair and their personal health care situations. The stories were crammed between a rock and a hard place; they served as testaments to the failure of our current health care system, as people talked about having to go broke before they could receive public health assistance or alternatively being scammed if they were covered. There was also a lot of advice swapping, as people shared their preferred method to getting an appointment at Valley Medical, their favorite low cost pharmacy programs and the vitamin supplements they swear by.

The event was concluded with a raffle of door prizes and an exquisite, hand-made quilt. To my surprise, I won a basket of fancy beauty supplies which had been donated by Enlah Tate. We gathered round one more time that day to view an informational video about the California Universal Healthcare Act by One Care Now. Just like the Speak Out, the video included testaments of people whose lives were impacted by their health problems and lack of care. One of the interviewees of the documentary made the statement that summed up the day’s work: “I feel like I can’t afford to get sick.” We can no longer afford to have this outlook, and as activists, we can no longer afford to remain silent about the current health care crisis facing our community.

The Single Payer Health Coverage legislation that is making its way towards Sacramento was on everyone's tongues. Nurses, advocates and health care consumers all reported how important it is to get the word out and specifically to call Governor Schwarzenegger (916-445-2841) so the California Universal Healthcare Act, Senate Bill 840, becomes law.

More information can be found on the website http://www.healthcareforall.org and there are numerous ways to become involved in this dynamic campaign. There are organizing meetings open to the public (see website for details on the next meeting), as well as Santa Clara County Single-Payer Coalition meetings held by the Low Income Self-Help Center. Community or church groups are encouraged to bring in a speaker from the Health Care for All campaign to provide the group with information and answer questions. Signing the petition on http://www.onecarenow.org and making a phone call to the Governors’ office are acts of solidarity that go a long way towards this collective goal of keeping our families, friends and neighbors healthy, which has become an uphill battle.

Health insurance premiums have increased 87% since 2000, double the rate of inflation of the nation. Wages, however, have increased a mere 20% during the same period, so many once middle class families are now forced to forego health insurance and have joined the 6.5 million California residents who are uninsured.

The California Universal Healthcare Act (SB 840, Kuehl) seeks to shift health insurance coverage from being dependent on employment status to covering people depending on their California residency. It is also economically sound, as it doesn’t require any additional government funding and it pools the resources of employers and employees both to cover every California resident.

This public health issue is one that affects us all, the insured, underinsured and uninsured. When I got my blood pressure checked from Rita and Greg at the California Nurses Association table, we spoke at length about the public health crisis that is facing our nation. Rita summed it up when she said, “even if Greg or I have insurance, we still stand next to someone who has to think ‘can I afford this?’ before going to the doctor when they’re sick, and that is a danger to all of us.”

Attending organizations included The Gardner Healthcare for the Homeless Project, Planned Parenthood, The Community Childcare Council of Santa Clara County, O’Conner Hospital, the California Nurses Association, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Community Homeless Alliance Ministry, 9to5 National Association of Working Women, the Indian Health Center and Health Care for All California, among others.