Frill-Ability has been absent for quite some time because honestly, I couldn’t find the enthusiasm to write with the seemingly infinite amount of human rights issues plaguing the world and the United States. I thought to myself, what kind of real difference could I make? A huge issue that I might be facing and many others already are is the loss of insurance. This is a death sentence for the disabled and chronically ill community.

One skill I do have is the power of research, and now is a time that we need to take advantage of our community’s amazing resources. We just don’t always know they are there. For example, there are free or low-cost clinics all over the nation who assist low-income and uninsured populations. (even veterinary care! ...coming soon...) I have tasked myself with eventually creating a master list for at least one or two per state, so that you can come here and find what you need.

I first investigated my two locales, Chicago and the Bay Area. I live in Chicago now, but I still travel to the Bay somewhat frequently.  In Chicago, there is Community Health that specifically serves the uninsured. They provide quality medical and mental health services. In terms of mental health, you can access some of the already established programmess/groups, or go further to their social services department for more personalised and comprehensive treatment. If interested, visit one of their locations or call for more information.

I am particularly impressed by Community Health’s free pharmacy for all CH patients. That’s right, all the prescriptions are FREE. It is called the MedAccess Chicago Pharmacy, and apparently, it is the only one like this in this region. So, if you live in the Chicagoland area, are uninsured, and need help, Community Health is where you should go. Here is how to find out if you are eligible to be a patient.

In the San Jose is the Wellness Center at the Goodwill of the Silicon Valley which focuses on mental health only. Their webpage states,

“Our state-of-the-art Wellness Center provides much needed mental health services to the community. We provide free therapy to a multitude of clients varying from veterans to parolees. We partner with organizations across Silicon Valley including Valley Medical Center, medical clinics, homeless shelters, and other community agencies that are dedicated to providing mental health services to the greater Silicon Valley community.”

Goodwill really goes the extra mile with thinking about the disability community. They provide employment-finding services for Autistic people and Veterans. Additionally, they have after-school programmes to help with tutoring, enrichment in the arts, and classes centred around health and hygiene.

For medical care in the Silicon Valley, there is RotaCare Bay Area, Inc, another amazing nonprofit giving free care to the uninsured. Even better, there are multiple locations across the Bay, (because who has a car there, right?) and they have partnered with Palo Alto Medical Foundation for surgeries. PAMF is a great group, and you can feel safe in their hands. I was able to find some reviews, and they are glowing. 

This blog was a bit rushed because I want to get it to you as quickly as possible given the need is high. Expect in the future for me to add a new page with said master list of resources including these for you to easily access. For the record, these are great places for donations. Once we start creating new products in the shop again, we would like to direct funding towards them!

I hope this has been helpful and that it eases your struggle. Obviously, I probably have not covered your area yet, but leave me a comment with where you live, so I can target my research! Sending you lots of love and light, and as always, make good with your ability today!

Sorel Estrada Volpe