Community Outreach
NewVue Communities
NewVue Communities is a group that aims to share information regarding “neighborhood leadership and civic engagement, affordable housing development, homeownership, and small business development.” NewVue communities also runs Steward programs that cover topics such as Health, Art, and Mental Health. These programs aim to provide members of the community with a variety of information. Topics discussed during the meetings of these groups include Exploring Depression and Anxiety, First Aid, Healthy Foods in Schools, and many others as well.
The FSU Service Learners attended some of these meetings and their reflections are below. We hope it inspires you get involved in community outreach as well!
Some of Our Personal Experiences with NewVue
Devin - Art Stewards
My personal experience with the Art Stewards group was eye-opening and inspiring. I have lived in Fitchburg my whole life and never knew the faces behind the murals, street art, theatre productions, and art museum staff until joining this group. As an artist myself it felt amazing to finally feel like a contributing part of an artists forum, especially from my hometown. I learned about the current projects going on, the future efforts, and shared in the excitement about the projects in motion. Fitchburg is a city full of talent, and the organizations in place are working hard to show off the work of artists all around the city. People feel connected through art, and I personally feel uplifted and excited to create after attending each meeting with these amazing fellow artists and art enthusiasts.
Chloe - Health Stewards
Attending the NewVue Health Stewards program truly opened my eyes to the inner workings of the community. One program that I had never known of before attending these meetings was Hazel Health, which is a, 'telehealth' service available through select schools in Fitchburg, which allows students to receive affordable care from healthcare professionals, whether they are in school or at their home. The hope is that with Hazel Health, students will have fewer sick days in school. The health stewards programs also discussed relevant COVID-19 updates such as testing locations and vaccination sites. This information is important to share with members of the community so that we as a whole can remain well educated. The program also discussed methods of first aid that can be performed in emergency situations, serving to inform the community in the event of any sudden injuries. I believe that NewVue programs provide vital information through many different channels such as presentations and verbal discussion, and are worth being advertised to the community in any way possible.
Alex - Mental Health Stewards
By attending the Mental Health Peer Stewards program, I was able to learn a lot about the troubles people in the community face when it comes to mental health. Being someone who has struggled with mental health for years, I went into the program having already some personal experience, but had no knowledge of how widespread mental health issues were in the world, let alone this specific community. From the program dates I attended, I learned about a parent who went through therapy to improve upon their mental health, a more-so old man who lost their job as a result of a stroke, causing him to have to basically start over his life, and the immunocompromised wife of a post office worker, who's husband would always fear that one day he'd get infected with COVID-19 and have the disease spread to his wife. Through these sessions, we discussed ways the COVID-19 pandemic affected our mental health, and how, even in a post-pandemic world, that people could gain access to resources to improve their mental health; be it through coping, venting, or just talking to other people in your life. Throughout this program, I was able to get a sense that nobody is alone in terms of mental health struggles; everyone has a different reason or cause of why they would struggle with mental health, and it was through these programs that people were able to talk about their struggles and come up with ways to be able to help those who still struggle with mental health.
Other Community Resources
Jobs and Employment
Within Fitchburg, there are 19.4 thousand individuals employed. Common job groups among the employed population include Office and Administrative Support, Sales, and Production Occupations. Job openings in Fitchburg can be tracked at the following website: https://ma-fitchburg.civicplushrms.com/careers/.
Making Opportunity Count
MOC (Making Opportunity Count) is a family resource center that serves to help families of the Fitchburg community by providing services such as strengthening parenting skills, helping children develop social and emotional skills, and recognizing early signs of child abuse and neglect. MOC also assists the community in other ways, such as increasing youth engagement in after school enrichment programs and helping parents maintain jobs by keeping the children safe and cared for. More information about MOC and its goals/services can be found here: https://www.mocinc.org/
Housing
In Fitchburg, a larger percentage of residents rent units as opposed to owning. Most houses in Fitchburg fall within the 200-300 thousand dollar price range. Listings for housing and property in Fitchburg can be found here: Fitchburg House/Property Listings - Zillow
Business
There are over 2,000 businesses throughout Fitchburg. The Fitchburg Business Center provides assistance to entrepreneurs as they manage or start up their businesses.
Our Father's House
Our Father’s House is a homeless shelter in Fitchburg that provides services such as shelter, food, and advocacy services to those in need. This shelter is a “dry” shelter, meaning that no drugs or alcohol can be used during a stay at this location.