Salem showed up for a Community Conversation on High Heat and Resiliency Hubs!

On Tuesday, July 21st, over 70 community members from Salem’s El Punto neighborhood poured into a packed Espacio. The energy was unmatched, with residents excitedly eating pastelitos, fried plantains, french fries, and more from Salem Tipico Restaurant, gathering with friends and family members to speak about climate change and high heat.

After attendees settled in, Communities Responding to Extreme Weather, otherwise known as CREW, soon began their presentation. Focusing on connecting residents with resources and knowledge for high heat events, CREW highlighted the elevated heat in El Punto, and shared info on “Resiliency Hubs,” in which residents can find shelter and support during emergencies.

Attendees also worked in small groups, discussing whether or not they felt prepared to deal with the impacts of high heat. They responded to questions surrounding where they go during extreme heat events, what method of transportation they typically use, how prepared their home is for high temperatures, and about the connection they have with other residents. These responses will help guide the actions of our community organizations, allowing us to be as effective as possible when addressing high heat. 

As the event approached its close, residents held small blue tickets excitedly, waiting to hear who would be called next during our raffle. Some community members won cooling fans, Chromebooks, and more, with two lucky attendees even winning a window air conditioning unit.

While I write this, one thing that truly stuck with me was how excited the residents were for each other to win. They cheered, hugged each other, and brightened the room with their energy. Before people left for the night, everyone, regardless of their raffle winnings, received a cooling kit to take home as well. This included a small neck fan, a soakable towel, a reusable cold pack, and more.

The event was also featured in an article by The Salem News and by GBH, a testament to its success!

Thank you to CREW, the Northshore CDC, and the Resilient Together Project for being incredible partners in this event. Last night was a huge success, and that is in large part thanks to the North Shore CDC’s community building team and their deep canvassing for the event.