Neighborhood Resiliency Project Makes Meaningful Progress Toward Key Goals

Since January, TownGreen has hosted eight Neighborhood Resiliency Project programs: drop-in sessions at The Open Door, public classes at Sawyer Free Library, small-group sessions at Action, Inc., and meetings with the Youth Advisory Council at Gloucester High School. 

When starting a new initiative, one always has high hopes that the impact you’ve envisioned and planned will actually materialize. So, when the team compiled data from our network outreach and recent program evaluations and compared it to our 2026 goals, it was plain to see that NRP is strong out of the gate. 

• Goal: 30 + groups added to our Neighborhood Resiliency Network
  • Update: 18 nonprofits, civic groups engaged

• Goal: 7 municipalities in our program
  • Update: 4 Cape Ann communities engaged

• Goal: 200 emergency go-bags distributed to households
  • Update: 76 bags plus other go-bag items distributed

• Goal: 30 programs across Cape Ann; 400 people reached
  • Update: 8 programs; 128 people reached

• Goal: Provide language access for all programs
  • Update: 3 Open Door programs had a Spanish/Portuguese interpreter deliver the program to approximately 15 individuals/families

• Goal: Expand language access beyond Spanish and Portuguese
  • Update: Delivered information to Arabic speakers, with plans for Haitian Creole 

• Goal: Hire a NRP multilingual community organizer
  • Update: Lily Nachtigall joined the team in March

We are committed to expanding this effort and to have all three program types up and running on Greater Cape Ann by the end of the year. This includes drop-in sessions that provide one-on-one instruction on completing a household emergency plan and reviewing what’s in a go-bag, small group classes at libraries and education centers, and neighborhood visits to backyards, block parties, potlucks, book clubs, civic groups, community gatherings, and with faith-based groups.

If you would like to have the Neighborhood Resiliency Project visit your neighborhood, group, club, or organization, please contact Maureen Aylward-Bover, maureen@town-green.org.