February 12, 2026
Introducing the COVID + Health Resource Library
Affect is launching its third program, the COVID + Health Resource Library (CHRL or “choral” for short)! It’s an experiment that we’re developing as we go, but is a community resource for disabled BIPOC, and basically a tool library centered around COVID PPE.
As funds for disabled health have been drastically cut in the last year, we as disabled people of color need to be increasingly creative and resourceful to keep ourselves and our community safe through an ongoing pandemic. CHRL hopes to bridge that gap a little.
To start, CHRL will offer:
- free specialty filtering masks
- by specialty, we mean masks and airtight valves that have gone through quantitative fit tests, but may be less accessible to the public because of price or limited stockists
- lab-quality molecular COVID tests that people can borrow for home use
- right now, we are primarily focused on the Metrix device, as the Pluslife is not readily available in the United States
First pop-up / collaboration
CHRL is partnering with APANO and tabling at their upcoming Open Studios event on Friday, February 20 from 4-8pm! Open Studios is a free mask-required BIPOC affinity third space to experiment, play, explore creativity, and cultivate connections. It is all-ages, open-ended, and drop-in style.
The address is 8188 SE Division St (cross street: SE 82nd). You can stop by for supplies OR take part in AZN Zine Fest’s zine scramble.
- The event is on the ground floor and ADA-accessible.
- Bathrooms are single-stall and all gender.
- While Open Studios is a mask-required event, people may unmask to eat in between, as snacks will be available.
- An air purifier will be running next to the CHRL table.
- There is no onsite parking — limited street parking is available nearby in the residential neighborhood.
- Open Studios is directly on bus line 72 and about a block away from bus line 2. The MAX Green Line stops about 15 minutes away.
- Open Studios often photographs their events and has opt-out stickers for those wanting to stay off camera.
CHRL was made possible through a two-year general operating grant from the Northwest Health Foundation. We would have mentioned it before, but are a bit behind on Affect’s end of 2025 wrap-up!