CHNA 20 BLOG
Community Engagement sounds like a straightforward practice. On the surface, it’s simple: To do work that impacts a community, it’s generally best to involve the members of that community in the work being done. But true engagement is much deeper and more complex than just “involvement.” In fact, when done well, community engagement may be one of the more complicated aspects of any public health initiative.
“Our model has completely changed,” says Vinny Harte, President and CEO of the Wellspring Multi-Service Center, a Hull organization providing wraparound services designed to address all of the factors contributing to and/or hindering individuals’ paths to independence. In the face of COVID-19 restrictions, the center has had to totally redesign its service delivery models. In-person activities such as counseling and adult education have been re-imagined as online events; the food pantry has become a food delivery service to minimize the need for clients to leave their homes.
