City Launches Cambridge Community Corps to Encourage Residents to Adopt Safe Practices While Outdoors

The City of Cambridge and the Cambridge Public Health Department are launching a pilot Cambridge Community Corps program to support and encourage residents to adopt safe practices when using city parks and other recreational areas during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To slow the spread of the coronavirus during reopening, corps members will be speaking with people in parks, tot lots, basketball courts, and other open spaces throughout the city about observing physical distancing, wearing face coverings, and practicing good hand hygiene when outdoors. Corps members will also be available to answer questions about how to stay safe outdoors during COVID-19.

“I’m extremely proud of our residents and city staff for all the actions they’ve taken to prevent coronavirus transmission, and we don’t want to lose our momentum,” said Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. “I believe Corps members will do a great service for Cambridge by educating residents and answering their questions about how to stay safe during the pandemic.”

The Cambridge Community Corps aims to keep residents aware of how to stay safe during the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis, especially as they engage in recreational activities But it also has a larger goal: To continue to build community resiliency by improving the community’s ability to withstand, adapt, and recover from a disaster, public health emergency, or other trauma.

"The Cambridge Community Corps will engage people with strong ties to the city in helping residents come together and support each other at such an uncertain time," said Claude A. Jacob, Chief Public Health Officer and Director of the Cambridge Public Health Department. "If the pilot is successful, we envision that the corps could be deployed in the future to assist with climate change outreach, heat emergencies, and other efforts that build community resiliency.”

Like many local health departments, the Cambridge Public Health Department is working to enhance public health and health care systems to strengthen the community’s physical, behavioral, and social health. In turn, Cambridge will be better able to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a disaster or disease outbreak. CPHD is part of a Community Resiliency national demonstration pilot project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and led by George Washington University, in partnership with the American Public Health Association and the National Association of County and City Health Officials.

Photo: Kyle Klein