Wilmington Mayor Purzycki To Receive Coronavirus Outreach Guidance

From the City of Wilmington:

April 17, 2020

Both branches of City government will work with community representatives to increase education and information outreach to Wilmington’s traditionally underserved populations

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki and City Council President Hanifa Shabazz said today that one of the most critical needs in Wilmington is to ensure that the City’s largely underserved populations have the information and resources needed to be protected and fight back against COVID-19. To that end, the Mayor and Council President said they will rely heavily on advice from a re-purposed community-based working group that in the past few weeks has re-organized because of the COVID-19 crisis to support outreach to Wilmington’s African American and Latino neighborhoods.

The Wilmington COVID-19 Community Mobilization Group (C19CMG) is a consortium of community-based individuals and organizations including the United Way, the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, the Latin American Community Center, and Kingswood Community Center. The Mayor and Council President said this group knows City neighborhoods well and has open lines of communication with local and state governments. Most members of the new COVID-19-focused group came together originally a few years ago as members of the Wilmington Community Advisory Council (WCAC), formed by Council President Shabazz after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention visited Wilmington in 2015 to counsel the City about ways to reduce gun violence.

“We need more input from people in the community who know how to get information and resources into the hands of people in our neighborhoods, and especially for people who do not have access to information technology,” said Mayor Purzycki. “Now, more than ever before, there is a critical need to communicate with people one-on-one and to do it safely, quickly, and efficiently.”

“Whether it’s information about COVID-19 assessment and testing sites, or how to obtain masks and gloves, or details of food giveaway events, we know there are people in our neighborhoods who are not aware of this information and it’s our duty to get this information to them because it can save their lives and keep their families safe,” said Council President Shabazz.

The Mayor and Council President said an informal working group comprised of city government and community representatives will work directly with the COVID-19 Community Mobilization Group to leverage federal and state coronavirus funding and be prepared to suggest policy or legislation related to the COVID-19 crisis can that help City residents and neighborhoods. The other Council Member on the working group is Chris Johnson, co-chair of Council’s Public Safety Committee, who advocated for greater connections to the neighborhoods where the most vulnerable residents live.

Thus far, the C19CMG has begun to identify vendors who can supply thousands of masks and is launching a public information campaign to alert residents about what to do if they experience COVID-19 symptoms, how to maintain social distancing, the importance of wearing protective masks, and where assessment or testing sites are located in Wilmington. This information will be delivered through email, social media, and the distribution of door-to-door flyers.

This press release was produced by the City of Wilmington. The views expressed here are the author’s own.