the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee (CEOC) Update and Outreach Project Report

CITY HALL, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02139 TEL: [phone removed] FAX: [phone removed] | TTY/TDD: [phone removed] | EMAIL: amallon@cambridgema.gov CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL Alanna Mallon Vice Mayor To: Cambridge City Council From: Alanna Mallon, Vice-Mayor Date: June 25th, 2020 Subject: CEOC Update To the Honorable, the City Council, Since early May, the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee (CEOC), the Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP), Food For Free, and my office have collaborated on a targeted outreach campaign to recipients of Food For Free’s home grocery deliveries. Residents received calls from trained CEOC staff connecting them to resources like SNAP/WIC, Unemployment Insurance Benefits, grant relief programs, rental assistance programs, health insurance, Pandemic EBT, Income Tax and federal stimulus check assistance, and so much more. Given the critical work these callers are doing to fill in resource gaps in our community when many residents are struggling, I wanted to take the opportunity to provide a progress update on the related communication I submitted to the City Council on May 7th. The hard work, dedication, and vigilance of the CEOC who made this targeted campaign possible shows in the attached CEOC final report. To quickly highlight their key efforts and overwhelming success, out of the 1,607 phone numbers we had on file, CEOC connected with and assisted 1,570 Cambridge residents with at least one of the above mentioned resources. 279 residents received assistance with more than one resource. By far, the largest resource gap among residents reached was food and nutrition assistance. Whether it was helping residents apply for SNAP/WIC, signing them up for Food For Free’s Home Delivery program, or advising on food pantry hours, locations, and availability, each resident received highly personalized assistance specific to their individual needs. This effort went far beyond the typical targeted mailer or flyer, and is being thoughtfully integrated into existing onsite food pantries as we speak, to ensure long-term continuity of these custom connections. Over the past several weeks of quarantine, we have been working to adapt this contact model to fit the new normal. As food pantries begin expanding their reopening efforts in Cambridge next week, this targeted campaign will evolve to offer onsite assistance and connection to resources. In collaboration with the Cambridge Housing Authority, Just A Start, and other existing food pantry sites, CEOC will deploy staff members to sites, where they will provide face-to-face, real time support, while stringently following public health safety protocols.

CITY HALL, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02139 TEL: [phone removed] FAX: [phone removed] | TTY/TDD: [phone removed] | EMAIL: amallon@cambridgema.gov This public health crisis has deeply impacted nearly every part of our lives, and it has illuminated problems with how social services were administered pre-pandemic. As we move forward and discover what the new normal will look like, this new onsite, personalized assistance model can help transform human service programs, for the better. Food pantries were originally established in the 1970’s as a temporary way to address hunger, and while they serve as a critical resource to our most vulnerable residents, they can only act as a bandaid to the underlying cycle of poverty. It’s time we transform the food pantry model to a new approach that delivers human services in a humane way. Rather than continuing to offer temporary solutions to inter-generational problems, we must create pathways out of poverty through housing assistance, workforce development opportunities, access to sustainable funding for food costs, and more. This potentially transformative program with CEOC is a promising opportunity that we should not and cannot ignore. In the coming weeks, I will continue to work with CEOC to refine this innovative program, and I will continue to keep you, my colleagues on the City Council, updated on this program and its potential successes. Thank you, Alanna Mallon Cambridge Vice-Mayor