The Oregon COVID-19 Storytelling Project is a collection of stories from Oregonians related to their experiences of the pandemic, collected and stewarded by the Oregon Health Equity Alliance (OHEA) in late spring 2023.
Project Introduction
As health equity advocates, OHEA witnessed the crumbling of our public health systems under the pressure of the pandemic in overwhelmed hospital systems, misinformation about COVID-19, mistrust in our government and health officials, and inhumane decisions made from bad data. As the systems frantically tried to stay afloat, our communities were being let go from their jobs, unable to secure basic needs like food, housing, transportation, education, and medical care. All while enduring unprecedented environmental devastation and international uprisings demanding justice for the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, and others taken by police violence.
The goal of this project is to offer a platform for Oregonians most impacted by the pandemic to share about their experiences, stories, and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This website is an archive of our experiences through life-changing times.
Our hope is that this project serves as a reminder of our interconnectedness, even and especially, when we are apart.
Thank You
To our storytellers, community partners, and OHEA team, thank you for the collective effort in making this project possible. Special thanks to OHSU RELATE Lab and GARD Communications for thought partnering and bringing the project to fruition.
Team and Partners
Oregonhealthequity.org
Amarachi Duru is a proud Igbo, Nigerian-American woman from Portland, Oregon. For years, she has devoted herself to nonprofit work that serves marginalized and under-resourced BIPOC communities through community outreach, program management, consultation and grant writing. Her dedication lies in uplifting, honoring, and empowering immigrant and refugee communities in Greater Portland.
In 2023, she published the “Family Love Fund” workbook alongside her project partner Brandt Maina. “Family Love Fund” is a collection of knowledge and wisdom on remittances from the African immigrant and refugee community- sending money and goods to support our family and friends in their home country.
Amarachi believes that the ongoing work of health equity advocacy for marginalized communities in Oregon is ceaseless and crucial to not simply our survival but our flourishing. She is excited to be part of the OHEA COVID-19 Storytellers Project, which highlights and honors the often-unheard perspectives of COVID-19 by those disproportionately impacted. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her loved ones, stay active, and read Black contemporary literature.
To connect and for inquiries –
amarachiduru.com
amarachi.duru@gmail.com
Gard is a full-service creative, digital and public relations agency in Portland, Oregon with deep connections to the people and issues in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Since 1979, we have stayed true to the craft of communication, earning the trust of our clients with stories and images that resonate with audiences and shape the conversation for the better.