New! Radio Station in British Columbia Airs Segment on Book Club
People first radio interviewed Donna Kelly, Outreach Nurse, and Jenice Contreras, Director of Development about the Homeless Health Literacy Book Clubs at Care Alliance Health Center. Click here to hear the interview.
Homeless Health Literacy Book Club
The Homeless Health Literacy Book Club began in the fall of 2007, originating from an idea of Care Alliance's outreach nurse, Donna Kelly, about how she relates to her patients, people who face extremely challenging situations in their lives. She recognized that books were often the common ground between her and her patients. As a result, a book club was developed for residents at Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries' Men's Shelter at 2100 Lakeside, and soon expanded into Joseph's Home, a transitional shelter for homeless.
The first of its kind in the nation, the book club is designed to integrate health literacy messaging into meaningful discussions about relevant, interesting books that often have strong emotional ties for the participants. The book club additionally ends up being extremely therapeutic for many participants; providing a safe, confidential arena in which to discuss life experiences and emotions paralleled with those exhibited by the characters in the books.
Want to get involved? Donate books off of our Book Club Wish List.
