#ParkHillTalks Online - Covid-19 - November 19

We host #ParkHillTalks in places that people feel comfortable to share their experiences and stories. These are often places that people already congregate regularly.

In response to COVID-19, we have had to find flexibility in reaching people at home using video conferencing to keep the conversation going. These talks are intended to provide a space for community members to be updated in real time, find resources, and ultimately continue to build community.

#ParkHillTalks have unofficially been occurring in places in the community and online for as long as the neighborhood has existed. Bringing the structure of community organizing to video conferencing helps provide the platform to turn the conversations to action.

November 19, 2020

• 9 attendees

• Key topics

  • Community

    • There was mention of how it has been difficult to find volunteers. We discussed how there is need for food boxes to get distributed to community and the need of volunteers.

    • There was relief with election results. We discussed how there is still uncertainty of what the next months are going to look like.

    • Stricter COVID-19 restrictions are causing change fatigue. We discussed the need for consistency and the mental health impact of winter and restrictions around the holidays.

    • There is hope that we are heading in the right direction. We discussed the need for relief efforts at a federal level to help our most vulnerable neighbors cope with these changes.

    • The holidays will look a lot different this year. We discussed how holidays will be smaller and how some families will leave food outside doors and have virtual dinners.

    • Northeast Denver Center held A Day of Dignity for the community. We discussed that they helped 700 neighbors, provided showers, haircuts, food baskets, and a chili meal. Partners were also able to support in helping find housing and jobs for the 5th year.

      Outcomes

    • We agreed that community connectivity is needed especially with stricter restrictions.

    • We agreed that there needs to be better safety nets and more channels to cover weak points exposed by COVID-19 in regards to services.

    • We agreed that small businesses and service industry workers need to be better supported.

    • We agreed that there is not enough technological supply to meet community demand.