Health Brigade

10/07/2026

💥 EXCELSIOR CHECK-IN: WEEK 1 — SHOW UP 💥

Every journey starts with a single step.
And this week, that’s really all we’re asking: show up.

Show up for your movement.
Show up for yourself.
Show up for your people.
Show up, even when you don’t feel like it.

This was something Mic believed in deeply. One of his favorite quotes was Theodore Roosevelt’s “The Man in the Arena”:

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.”
Mic didn’t believe you had to be the fastest, strongest, or best. He believed in getting in the arena, giving it your best, and, most importantly, not quitting.

That’s what the Excelsior Challenge is about.

Maybe your “arena” this week was a run, a swim, a bike ride, a walk around the block, a workout, or simply getting up and moving when it would have been easier not to.

Maybe you showed up for someone else, too.
Whatever your step was, it counts. ❤️

So, Excelsior crew, tell us:
✨ What was your first step this week?
💪 What’s helping you stick with your routine?
😅 What has been harder than you expected?
❤️ Who has encouraged you—or who have you encouraged?
🏆 What’s one thing you’re proud of so far?

Drop your stories, photos, sweaty selfies, victories, struggles, or tiny wins below.

Keep showing up. Keep moving. Keep cheering each other on.
It's not too late to sign up- check out www.healthbrigadeevents.org !
EXCELSIOR! 🚀
Ever Upward.

10/05/2026

“It’s important to keep dancing. If we stop, it means they won."

Jackie Bishop Wells has spent years creating spaces where people can show up as themselves.

She’s been in the nightclub industry since she was 19 and has been part of Fallout since 2007. When she took over in 2014, she wanted the club to become more than a place to go out. It could be a gathering place, a classroom, a meeting place, a place where people in communities that are often asked to hide themselves could feel at home.

Growing up as a “weird,” alternative kid, Jackie learned that sometimes you have to create the spaces you wish existed.

“I want to be the place that’s doing what no one else is doing. I want to be the place that’s there for the people who have nowhere else to go.”

That kind of space doesn't happen by accident. It takes intention, imagination, and a willingness to keep showing up.

And sometimes, it takes dancing.

📸 Kristin Seward ()

10/02/2026

🖤 From Surviving to Thriving: A Celebration of Black Mental Wellness

As part of Richmond Black Mental Health Week, join us for an uplifting virtual panel discussion exploring Black mental wellness, resilience, and what it means to move beyond survival toward thriving.

We’re especially proud to see Health Brigade’s Director of Mental Health and Wellness, Dr. Muriel Azria Evans, joining this important conversation alongside a powerful panel of mental health professionals and community voices.

📅 Wednesday, October 7, 2026
⏰ 6–8 PM
💻 Virtual panel discussion

Featuring Dr. Muriel Azria Evans, Dr. Lakesha Roney, Geravis Brown, Charnetta R. Waters, Cedric Wilson, Dr. Carlton Henderson, Dr. Brandy Richeson, and Dr. Brittany Suggs, with Shawana Ward as a panel guest.

Come listen, learn, and celebrate the many ways Black communities are creating space for wellness, healing, and thriving.

Registration is required. Scan the QR code on the flyer to register.

10/01/2026

Today is the day! Mic McConnell Excelsior Challenge is here and it's not too late for you to join us! 💙

This October, we’re showing up, getting stronger, and caring for one another through a 30-day fitness + kindness challenge inspired by our longtime friend Mic McConnell. 💪

The goal? Raise $6,000 to help Health Brigade patients access continuous glucose monitors (CGMs).

👉Ready to participate? Sign up for the challenge at www.healthbrigadeevents.org

Come as you are. Move in whatever way works for you. Let’s show up for each other. Excelsior!

09/30/2026

Recovery doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens with people, connection, support, and a whole lot of showing up. ❤️

Our Comprehensive Harm Reduction Coordinator Dziko Singleton sat down with City of Richmond worker Jason Alley for NBC12 to talk about this weekend’s Regional Recovery Day, what the day is all about, and why community matters.

And now you know where to find us. 👀

Join us this Saturday at Monroe Park from 12–3 PM for an afternoon of connection, resources, support, and celebrating recovery in all its forms.

📍 Monroe Park
📅 Saturday
⏰ 12–3 PM

Come grab some resources. Meet some good people. Learn something. Celebrate recovery. Maybe even hang out for a while.

Recovery is worth celebrating. Come be part of it.

09/29/2026

🎨 The Art Brigade presents its 37th Exhibition: Sisters Project Peru

Join us at Health Brigade on Thursday, October 1 from 5:30–7 PM for an evening of art, storytelling, and community.

Featuring the photography of Maria Rico, this exhibition highlights the people and places connected to Sisters Project Peru, a community-led initiative supporting healthcare access in Huacahuasi, Peru.

Through vibrant portraits and everyday moments, Rico invites us to consider how much of our lives is shaped by chance: where we’re born, the opportunities available to us, and the circumstances that surround us.

Opening Event
📅 Thursday, October 1, 2026
🕠 5:30–7 PM
🎤 Art presentation at 6 PM
🍪 Free admission + refreshments
♿ Wheelchair accessible
🚗 Entrance/parking available behind the building
Come see the exhibition, hear the story behind the photographs, and spend an evening with us.
📍 Health Brigade
1010 N. Thompson Street, Richmond, VA 23230

09/28/2026

Okay, but what does Care Is Resistance actually MEAN?
We asked Dziko and Jo, and they had some things to say. 👀

Care isn’t just a nice idea. It’s a practice, a choice, and sometimes a little bit of a radical act. Hit play and hear what it means to them. 💛

09/23/2026

Medicaid is changing. And for a lot of people, figuring out what those changes mean for you is going to be complicated.

If you have Medicaid, DON’T ASSUME YOU’VE LOST YOUR COVERAGE. Keep an eye on your mail, complete your renewal when you’re asked to, and get help if you’re not sure what to do.

📞 Cover Virginia: 1-855-242-8282
🌐 Check your coverage or renew: coverva.dmas.virginia.gov

And if you’re still eligible, Health Brigade has staff who can help patients navigate the process of keeping your Medicaid coverage.

If you lose coverage, that doesn’t mean you stop needing care. Free Clinics like Health Brigade are here for the people who need somewhere to turn.

Looking for a Free Clinic near you?

🌐 Virginia: vafreeclinics.org/clinics-in-virginia
🌐 Anywhere in the U.S.: nafcclinics.org/find-clinic/

Because the system is getting harder to navigate.

So we have to get better at navigating it with each other.

09/21/2026

JOIN US FOR THE EXCELSIOR CHALLENGE KICKOFF! 💪

We’re kicking off the Mic McConnell Excelsior Challenge with an afternoon of music, movement, food, and a little friendly competition!

📅 September 27
⏰ 3–5 PM
📍 Health Brigade, 1010 N. Thompson Street

Come celebrate Mic’s legacy and get ready for 30 days of movement and kindness. We’ll have:

🎶 Music by Susan Greenbaum
⚡ A fitness expert Q&A
🍴 Food & drinks
🏃 An obstacle course
✨ And more!

Planning to take part in the challenge? Sign up now and join us for the kickoff!

👉 Sign up for the Excelsior Challenge -

We can't wait to celebrate and kick-off the challenge with you! Join us for food, music from Susan Greenbaum, fitness activities & more!

09/21/2026

🏋️‍♀️ Want to be part of the Mic McConnell Excelsior Challenge? Sign up now!

This October, we’re showing up, trying again, and caring for one another through a 30-day fitness + kindness challenge inspired by our longtime friend Mic McConnell.

The goal? Raise $6,000 to help Health Brigade patients access continuous glucose monitors (CGMs).

Come learn more and get signed up at our Kickoff Celebration on Sunday, September 27, from 3–5 PM at Health Brigade. We’ll have live music, food, fitness activities, an obstacle course, crafts for kids, and more! RSVP for the Kickoff here: https://tinyurl.com/ExcelsiorChallenge

📅 September 27 | 3–5 PM
📍 Health Brigade
🎵 by Susan Greenbaum

👉Ready to participate? Sign up for the challenge at www.healthbrigadeevents.org

Come as you are. Move in whatever way works for you. Let’s show up for each other. ❤️