COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER OF BUFFALO, INC.
community health center of buffalo, inc.
Fight For Good
“FIGHT FOR GOOD”, and “FIGHT FOR GOOD: One Body One Soul” represent the Community Health Center of Buffalo, Inc.’s foray into documentary filmmaking in collaboration with the Buffalo Documentary Project (BDP) https://buffalodocumentaryproject.com/ in an effort to communicate to new, diverse audiences through the dynamic medium of film.
First screened at the Burchfield Penney Art Center at SUNY Buffalo State College, on Thurs., April 22, 2021, “FIGHT FOR GOOD” (22-minutes https://buffalodocumentaryproject.com/fight-for-good/ ) documents the Center’s determined efforts to provide continuous care for patients at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, including meeting the challenges of COVID-19’s disproportionate effect on communities of color.
“When we began our ‘Fight For Good’ journey, our initial objectives in collaborating with the Buffalo Documentary Project were simple. We wanted to capture our experiences as community healthcare providers and impact our patients, family members, and friends. While we recorded our stories, we also unexpectedly found ourselves engaging in deep self-reflection and giving voice to our vulnerabilities and the genuine, increasingly evident obstacles posed by systemic racism and healthcare inequities,” said Dr. Ansari.
“FIGHT FOR GOOD: One Body One Soul”, first screened Fri., Oct. 29, 2021, at Niagara University, follows the Community Health Center of Buffalo, Inc.’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as the crisis moved into its second year. As racial disparities persist in the everyday lives of underserved communities of color, COVID-19 presented new challenges of vaccine hesitancy and outright refusal. CHCB’s leader and providers go into the community in an endless effort to continue to fight the pandemic and provide healthcare for the most disadvantaged populations residing in the cities of Buffalo and Niagara Falls. This film also shows how CHCB leaders present candid community voices that offer an effective way to respond to unprecedented difficulties encountered in the current COVID-19 and future pandemics.
“As this pandemic continued to twist and turn, both the community and providers had to learn from each other. Through community education, we began to see rays of light break through the darkness in the form of fast-track vaccines and life-saving treatments. Although the bombardment of misinformation was a significant obstacle in giving vaccines to communities of color, we did not give up on finding creative ways to vaccinate. Ultimately, I believe our answers lie within our collective selves,” Dr. Ansari continued.
“ ’FIGHT FOR GOOD: One Body One Soul’ shows the COVID-19 pandemic active in our communities and that we are all connected to what affects one, affects all. Nature does not give an advantage to where you live, rich over poor, or one person is better than another. ‘Fight for Good: One Body One Soul’ continues to capture our history of fighting for all that is good,” she concluded.
To view “FIGHT FOR GOOD”, and “FIGHT FOR GOOD: One Body One Soul” and/or utilize the films with Discussion Guides for educational purposes, please contact [email protected]