HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 5/4/2021 - Memorandum From Amanda King And Leo Escalante Re: Covid-19 Community Resource Brochure & Partnerships With Local Organizations
MEMORANDUM
Communications & Public Involvement
215 N. Mason St.
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.416.2209
fcgov.com
DATE: April 21, 2020
TO: Mayor and City Councilmembers
THROUGH: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Kelly DiMartino, Deputy City Manager
Jackie Kozak-Thiel, Chief Sustainability Officer
Tyler Marr, Interim Director, Information & Employee Services
FROM: Amanda King, Communications & Public Involvement Director
Leo Escalante, Public Engagement Specialist
RE: COVID-19 Community Resource Brochure & Partnerships with Local
Organizations
Background: Fort Collins continues to experience widespread human and economic impacts
caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccination efforts are well underway; however new
positive cases continue, and human and economic impacts of the pandemic will persist even
after vaccinations are complete.
This memo and supporting attachment will provide an update on how the City has continued to
work with partners to engage with residents and help connect them with resources, including
targeted outreach to vulnerable and suspectable populations.
Dissemination of Information in the Community: Over the past year, the City of Fort Collins
has implemented a suite of tactics and programs to ensure community members have access to
resources. As part of these efforts, City staff formed a working group to support our vulnerable
and susceptible community members (VSPG). Funding from the federal CARES Act
Coronavirus Relief Fund (CVRF) allowed the City to establish and expand new programs to
support those impacted by the pandemic, and outreach around these programs is ongoing.
FCGov.com/coronavirus remains the central hub of COVID-19 information in English and
Spanish. Along with this site, a variety of other communication channels continue to be utilized
to provide information. These channels include:
Websites (fcgov.com, For Fort Collins and NoCo Recovers)
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Nextdoor)
Press releases and local media alerts
FCTV cable channel
COVID-19 eNewsletter (monthly)
Print materials
Ambassador/peer engagement
City staff email signature
Various existing newsletter platforms
Updated Community Resource Brochure: In order to provide a more comprehensive and
complete guide of local community resources, VSPG created an updated community resource
brochure highlighting programs to support those impacted by the pandemic. The brochure is
available in both Spanish and English.
As with the first community resource brochure, created when the pandemic began, staff
collaborated with United Way of Larimer County (UWLC) to ensure that resources included in
the brochure were also reflected on United Way 211. The 211 call center connects callers with
the localized resources they need including housing information and assistance, community
specific resources, food resources, unemployment and insurance support, utilities assistance
and mental health resources.
Additionally, staff provided UWLC with resources not yet included in 211 to ensure that the
database is as comprehensive as possible. Staff will continue to share City-led resources with
UWLC and 211 so that local resources stay up to date.
Distribution of the Community Resource Brochure:
The community resource brochure is in the process of being distributed by City staff and partner
agencies. Distribution efforts include:
Posting on City coronavirus website
Spotlight on fcgov.com
COVID-19 eNewsletter
CityNews
Business Newsletter
Social Media
The VSPG team is also sharing the brochure digitally with community partners and has plans to
distribute print copies of both the English and Spanish versions door-to-door. The in person
distribution of the brochure will be targeted to low income communities in Fort Collins. In
addition, City staff will has begun distributing it to businesses in the North College area.
Distribution of the printed brochure will be completed by April 30.
Attachments:
1. COVID-19 Community Resource Brochure