The Community Health Resource Center, first opened in 2008, is most commonly known for providing the Mills Community with information on sex positivity. However, the CHRC aims to provide us with resources regarding more primary health concerns.
“The student-run Community Health Resource Center provides a confidential and safe access to information and resources for the Mills Community,” CHRC Event Coordinator Natasha Munguia said.
The CHRC offers more than just safe sex supplies. According to Munguia, the center also offers other services such as resources on affirming positive outlooks on sex and sexuality, reproductive rights and justice, LGBT rights, rape and sexual violence, crisis information, and nutrition and
body image.
“The services are free and open to the whole Mills Community,” Munguia said. “And people can pick them up at the Community Health Resource Center.”
Munguia also added that there are three major events coming up at the CHRC including, the ‘Sex Positive’ Panel and the ‘Sex Positive’ Fair. On October 4, and the ‘Coming Out’ Party, sponsored by the CHRC.
Those involved with the CHRC hope to add more services to promote health in the community.
“I’d love to see us sponsor on-campus HIV testing, breast exam workshops, binding safety classes- all kinds of things,” said Colleen Kimsey, a CHRC volunteer and Mills student. “I’d love to have enough funding to have a condom, dental dam, glove and packet of lube for every Mills student.”
Kimsey also wishes to see the CHRC promote other health concerns, such as good sleeping habits.
“We spend lots of time talking about sexual health, but the number one health concern of Millsies is that no one’s getting enough sleep,” she said. “Wouldn’t a sleep week, where we talked about good sleep hygiene or got some Craiglist couches and set up nap centers, be great?”
The CHRC has also undergone changes since it opened in 2008.
According to Munguia, until just last year, the CHRC was known as the ‘Women’s Health and Resource Center’. However, issues began to arise concerning the center’s name and how it reflected the center’s purpose.
“Students felt that the center wasn’t being inclusive of all genders,” Munguia said. “Since our space welcomes all genders, we agreed that our name should reflect that, so we changed our name from Women’s Health Resource Center to Community Health Resource Center.”
According to Munguia, the Mills community can also get involved with the CHRC through volunteering, supporting and participating in CHRC events, and even viewing the CHRC Facebook page.
“The CHRC is now officially open but currently we are trying to completely staff the center since it is a new year and a lot of volunteers don’t exactly have a set schedule yet,” Munguia said.
According to Kimsey, the CHRC tries to provide thoughtful and respectful services to all members of the community.
“What people should keep in mind is that one of the things the CHRC does best is take feedback and change. Don’t like our language on a poster or at an event? Tell us. Better yet, join us,” she said.
“We are the organization we are because of people who bring their sometimes radically differing opinions to the table, and the solutions that arise from when we work together.”
