Remote Resilience

Growing Our Garden

Planting the Seeds: Cultivating Our Relationships

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Despite the many barriers, we found ways of connecting with our community partners. Beyond our weekly check-ins, we would often call, text or email one another on the spur of the moment.

**Eric and Mia on Zoom during the first meeting.**

Tending the Garden: Community During a Pandemic

Elements of Community

-Shruti Sathish

A sense of connectivity and togetherness was very important to our community partners during the pandemic. Everyone cherished the moments they spent catching up with others even though it was often done virtually.

Showing and Sharing Our Garden of Storytelling

-Savannah Payton

This journal entry was created by Savannah while reflecting on the legacy of this project and the creators involved. The stories that each individual shared helped add to a greater sense of community. They also contributed to a ‘garden’ of stories that everyone in the community could appreciate and learn from.

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Growing Our Knowledge

***The Power of Voice***

*Shruti Sathish*
Advocacy can be conversational and casual! Ms. Willnette is an advocate who loves educating others about HIV/AIDS. While she has publicly spoken about her experiences in many formal settings, she also knows that even a small, simple conversation with someone can have a huge impact.

“I always tell people: never stop taking your meds.”

— willnette Cunningham

This is a video of Ms. Willnette reading one of her powerful journal entries: the story of when she was diagnosed with AIDS.

***T Cell Count***

*Shruti Sathish*
When Ms. Willnette went to the emergency room in 1998, her T cell count was so low that her doctor asked her, “Why aren’t you dead?”. She had reached the AIDS status. This was the moment she realized the value of life.

Learning is Life-Long, By Willnette Cunningham — **Learning is Life-Long**, By Willnette Cunningham

Learning never ends! Ms. Willnette is constantly educating herself on mental health issues to better understand and support individuals in her family who are experiencing them. Pre-COVID, she would visit her local library regularly and use the computers there to do research.

“Silence is deadly, knowledge is power.”

— Ashly Avila

***A Champion of Change***

***Savannah Payton***
Deirdre Johnson works around the clock to inspire change around HIV/AIDS in culture and in the law. Her most recent success is Virginia SB 1138, a bill that decriminalizes HIV transmission. The bill was signed into law by Virginia’s Governor Ralph Northam on April 1, 2021. This bill was signed into law through the lobbying and advocacy of Deirdre Johnson and ECHO VA, which she cofounded.

Click below to see Deirdre Johnson featured in a variety of publications.

HIV Justice Network

A&U Magazine

*Hair, makeup & styling for A&U Magazine by Deirdre Johnson

The Body.com

Celebrating Our Garden

Class Oral History Session - Tuesday, March 16, 2021

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We joined our community partners for a fun-filled and enlightening class session on Zoom. We started with a journal scavenger hunt, where we looked for objects such as condoms, flowers, and balloons in our journals! Then, we discussed a variety of topics, including:

-What brings us joy

-Staying safe during the pandemic

-The importance of social connectivity

This session was so impactful and brought us closer to our community partners!

“Our Fight Is Your Fight”

-Shruti Sathish

This is a quote from Ms. Willnette from the oral history session. We were discussing HIV/AIDS advocacy and why it is important to spread knowledge and encourage people who don’t have HIV/AIDS to also join the fight. It is a powerful quote that resonated with many of us.

“Our Hidden Scars”

-Yolanda Rawlings

The importance of speaking up was discussed in the oral history session. People shared many personal stories, and this journal entry perfectly encapsulates the idea that while speaking up may be difficult, it can be immensely helpful to both yourself and may help someone else too!