Since shutting down regular programming on March 13th, our dedicated team has been busy calculating how the coronavirus will impact our community's wellbeing. However, once the new needs of our community came to light, we got to work.
While our work looks quite a bit different these days, our mission is still the same. The Center's commitment to respond to the needs of the most under-resourced and under-represented Cambridge residents has never wavered.
While our work looks quite a bit different these days, our mission is still the same. The Center's commitment to respond to the needs of the most under-resourced and under-represented Cambridge residents has never wavered.
For a list of reliable resources we've put together for our community members, click here.
We've focused on developing the following initiatives to combat the detrimental effects of COVID-19 on our community:
FOOD & SUPPLY PANTRY
In partnership with the Central Square BID, we launched a safe, socially-distanced Food & Supply Pantry on April 7th. Within a couple weeks of the pandemic shutting down our communities, we created a popup food pantry that's still being run out of our gymnasium. Ever since then, our pantry has been operating every week, Tuesdays - Fridays.
Thanks to generous food donations from our friends at Food For Free and Lovin' Spoonfuls, we've been able to offer our community members healthy options, including fresh fruits and vegetables as well as other quality grocery items. Additionally, the Central Square BID has secured donations of supplies (toilet paper, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, etc.) for us to distribute.
In just the first 6 days of operating the pantry, we distributed a total of 3,094 bags of food and supplies to 799 households - and that was just the start! The CCC is grateful for the opportunity to offer our community the essentials they deserve. Check out our pantry featured in an article published on Waste360.com!
Thanks to generous food donations from our friends at Food For Free and Lovin' Spoonfuls, we've been able to offer our community members healthy options, including fresh fruits and vegetables as well as other quality grocery items. Additionally, the Central Square BID has secured donations of supplies (toilet paper, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, etc.) for us to distribute.
In just the first 6 days of operating the pantry, we distributed a total of 3,094 bags of food and supplies to 799 households - and that was just the start! The CCC is grateful for the opportunity to offer our community the essentials they deserve. Check out our pantry featured in an article published on Waste360.com!
Even if you're not able to donate to our COVID-19 Relief Fund, you can still support our pantry by spreading the word! Share our pantry's flyer (shown above) or click to download this infographic to pass on to your friends. We created this infographic in efforts to illustrate the major impact our pantry has had (and continues to have) on our community. Help us raise awareness - such support is an essential tool in helping us to find the resources our community desperately needs and truly deserves.
CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY CALLING TREE
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We are committed to staying connected with our senior community. We have done this through a robust partnership with Building Impact, who helped us create an efficient system for recruiting and training volunteers to make weekly phone calls to seniors in our database on our behalf.
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Building Impact also designed a system for volunteers to record the information obtained on these calls in a way that is organized in a color-coded spreadsheet so we can quickly respond to the needs that arise on the calls. You can learn more about this initiative here.
CONNECTING WITH YOUTH & FAMILIES
We are maintaining communication with the youth and families currently enrolled in our youth programs, as well as any family that was enrolled in our youth programs at any time dating back to 2011. This has involved coordinating activities for students online and keeping families connected to resources available to them in the community. This has been done through weekly emails and calls that our youth program staff continue to make.
Why We Need Your Support
The Cambridge Community Center depends on revenue from service provision, which will continue to be heavily impacted until we are able to safely resume our regular operations. We are anticipating a loss of $20,000 in revenue each month that our normal programs and services are inactive. During this time, we have made an organizational commitment to continue paying all of our staff their normal salaries. We understand that you all face many competing priorities, but for those who are able, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to our COVID-19 Relief Fund.
Your donation will directly go towards paying the hardworking people who are working around the clock to make all of this important work possible!
Your donation will directly go towards paying the hardworking people who are working around the clock to make all of this important work possible!