The Margaret Fuller
    Neighborhood House
            . . . Community Building Community

AREA IV COMMUNITY OUTREACH CONNECTIONS

This project’s goals are to address violence and reduce crime in Area IV and to provide equal access to crucial resources for all residents of our community. These crucial issues are addressed by extensive outreach to at-risk young adults, by building agency collaboration, and by encouraging community self-empowerment.

The Area IV Community Outreach Connections is a unique partnership of municipal resources, the Cambridge Police, the voice and participation of community people at all levels, and the engagement of service providers and agencies. Funded though the City of Cambridge, the project is a result of many months of organizing by community residents in response to a fatal shooting and the resulting recognition of the un-addressed challenges facing many young at-risk adults of Area IV.

 Sion Chambers, Street Worker,  staffs the Outreach Connections project. Our Street Worker works with young people between the ages of 17 to 34 who aren’t traditionally connected to city resources. By seeking out and talking with at-risk young adults who frequent neighborhood hot spots, our Street Worker has assessed the needs of over 150 at-risk adults of Area IV in the past year. Most clients face serious challenges including lack of employment, medical and mental health care, housing or educational issues, and frequently need support through the judicial process. The Street Worker carries a caseload of 30 clients and follows each client for six months after successful placement in employment, educational options or other needed resources.
 

We have a newly created position of Area IV coordinator.  In this role, Alison Handy collaborates with the Area IV Coalition and the Port Action Commission.  In addition to supporting the Area IV Coalition with initiatives and meetings, the Area IV coordinator assesses Area IV and city services and their accessibility by the poor and at-risk populations of our community.  The Area IV coordinator encourages neighborhood residents, community organizations and groups, public entities and the Cambridge police to work together on identified issues and concerns.  Staff works to connect residents to available community resources such as housing, job training, health and educational programs. This initiative is an important impetus to community building and collaboration.