We are on the second day of the open-enrollment bus tour, part of a 22-stop tour making clear to Californians that we are here to stay and that they can get and keep affordable coverage that is changing lives. Today, we visited San Diego, Huntington Beach and Wilmington.
We first stopped at La Maestra, a community health center in the City Heights community in San Diego. Artist Sheena Rae Dowling was chosen to craft a mural outside the La Maestra building because of her ties to the local community as a City Heights resident and as a graduate of San Diego State University and the Pratt Institute. “It means a lot to me to be part of this project,” said Sheena. “I feel grateful to be a part of this.”
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| Peter V. Lee, Stefani, and Charley |
Charley, a little girl from La Mesa whose story was featured
in one of our Real Stories videos, came to the event. Her mother Stefani
spoke of how important it was to have coverage through Covered California when
Charley was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 3. Stefani says Charley
continues to receive ongoing care, and today she has a 90 to 95 percent
cure-without-relapse rate.
At Quote Selection in Huntington Beach, Certified Insurance
Agents were busy helping people sign up for health insurance. Outside, Bodeck Luna
Hernandez was putting the finishing touches on his mural, called “Health Starts
With Family.”
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| Bodeck Luna Hernandez |
Bodeck migrated from the Philippines to California with his
family when he was 14 years old.
Assimilating to a new country was tough but Bodeck found his voice in
art, where he could inspire neighbors with images of health, strength and
caring.
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| Tracy Negrete and Peter V. Lee |
Our last stop was the Community Health, Wellness and Activity Center in Wilmington (run by Providence Health & Services). Artist Tracy Negrete has sketched an outline of her mural, which will greet patients when they visit the health center. Her work will reflect the health center’s mission to improve the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health of the community. Said Tracy, “I love to give back to my community — merging art, the community and health. It works.”
Friday’s stops:
- StandUp Paddle Shop (121 Santa Barbara St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101)
- San Luis Obispo Superior Court (1050 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93408)
- Farmer’s Insurance (2217 E St., Bakersfield, CA 93301)
