Buena Idea: A series where we look to our Community Health Clubs for inspiration and new ways to communicate health.
San Antonio, TEXAS — Sunshine Health Club, a Health Confianza Community Health Club located at Sunshine Plaza apartments, is living up to its name, bringing positivity through connection and group activities.
Most recently, Kim Rendon, a community health worker and Health Program Specialist II with the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, led club members in producing their first zine (a short magazine) that focuses on “celebrating community.”
An avid photographer, Rendon wanted to engage in a community-building activity that could highlight the creativity of club members, so she brought the idea of a zine to the club.
“I was trying to figure out a fun and creative way to capture the stories of participants,” Rendon said. “A zine seemed like an engaging way to archive the work we do as a collective and document the Sunshine Health Club.”
They were immediately on board.
“It’s a community thing, it’s a group project,” said club member Cindy Carroll whose photography became the zine’s cover art.
To get started, Rendon decided to turn the monthly club meetings into zine workshops, focusing on different sections. For the “All About Us” section, she had the club members complete a worksheet by interviewing each other. For the “Recipes” section, she tied in Health Confianza’s nutrition curriculum, food demos, and club member’s own recipes. Finally, for the “Resources” section, the club decided to share community resources and advice for diabetes, one of the chronic illnesses that affects many of their members.
Reflecting on the zine, club members said it was a great way to learn more about each other, as well as to share their special skills and individual talents, such as photography and cooking.
Teresa Hampton said the zine was a great ice breaker for neighbors.
“It was a great way to socialize and to get to know each other, to get to know everyone’s names,” Hampton said. “You want to know your (neighbors) in case you need something, you’ll have someone to contact. We always have bingo every day, but this is something informative and fun.”
Both Rendon and the other club members are looking forward to working on another issue of the zine.
“I would love to help create more zines with the Sunshine Health Club and any other clubs that are interested in engaging participants,” Rendon said. “Maybe the next one will be more DIY and fully created by the members.”
In the sections below, we asked Rendon to give us insight into the club activity and break down the process of zine making. A link to a PDF of the zine is also available below.
Four Questions with Kim Rendon
Was creating a zine harder or easier than you thought it would be?
It was fairly easy to make. I went ahead and did the first digital zine to preserve histories and to have it be more accessible to share with partner organizations online.
What was the response from members?
They were excited to see the zine and read the recipes and want it to continue. There was definitely lots of input for the next zine!
What did you think of the Zine process?
It was a great creative outlet for all of us. It’s easy to reproduce and share with community and just a great way to document and share the story of the health club. I enjoyed the process and would do it again!
Anything you would do differently?
I would have tried to include more aspects, maybe more resources or another activity for the participants to share more of themselves. I think that is something I would like to do in the future.
Break it Down: How to make a Club Zine
Zine Production
Timeline: Three months to create including activities. For the digital zine, the club used Canva and saved it as a PDF. “We haven’t archived it, but I am thinking of having it submitted to Central Library’s mini zine library,” Rendon said.
Printing was a longer process.
Staff: Facilitator, health club members, editor.
Staff Roles: A person to facilitate workshops and conversations. Also, a person responsible for transcribing if zine is digital, such as an editor or someone who can help proofread and provide an eye for composition.
Photography: Utilize the skills of the members or ask them for their personal pictures.
Content (How did you pick your stories?): The club involved the members. They asked what their interests were and utilized the workshops they had planned and included them in the zine.
Materials: Worksheets, printing paper.
Printing: Internal cost for limited prints; consider larger printing chains like Office Depot, where it could cost between .18 and .62 cents a page.
Download the Sunshine Health Club zine here.