“We’re building community and we’re energizing the community by empowering residents to navigate systems … not us against them…we’re better together,” said DeAnna Shores, project manager for Middletown Connect, which was launched in 2023 to bring together health and safety advocates with neighborhood residents. The ultimate goal is improving the health of all residents with special emphasis on the census tracts identified as the Rosa Parks, Amanda and Wildwood areas.
“This is all citizen led … coming to the table differently,” Shores said, adding that one outcome of Middletown Connect was launching the Community Ambassadors, a voluntary group which meets regularly, receives training and education, attends city meetings, voices their concerns and takes action.
Shores said that ambassadors have set the following priorities for their efforts: youth outreach, civic engagement, record expungement and nuisance removal and beautification.
To get educated on community issues, residents meet periodically with Health Improvement Partners (HIPs) for “data walks” (meeting rooms filled with data about important community issues). HIPs include the city’s hospitals and health department, among 20 others.
“We want to build relationships between residents and leadership,” said Shores, adding that the two groups then strategize together to solve community problems.
“The ambassadors — that is, the people of Middletown — and the Health Improvement Partners — those with access to funds and policy — come together, form relationships, have real conversations, and work together to enact positive change in Middletown that matters, enabling all of us to be stewards of the community as a whole,” said Middletown Mayor Elizabeth Slamka, who was an ambassador before seeking elected office.
“The core of our work we’re doing is building connections that actually lead to the improvements in somebody’s life,” Shores said.
Among recent accomplishments were:
- Two ambassadors running for city council
- Launching a “Care Portal” for linking community needs and churches
- Establishing a task force to examine septic problems for the Amanda area
- Launching a youth outreach program
“We’re not inventing something new for youth but making sure kids in the census tracts get out and get connected to opportunities,” Shores said.
“We are making people’s lives better,” said Doug Pergram, who advocates for Middletown’s Amanda area. “Our efforts are making the neighborhood better. (Depending on the issue) we know now the right person to get things done.”
Pergram noted that studies show residents in the Amanda area of Middletown live 12 years shorter than in other areas of Middletown. He advocates for removing community eyesores and trash, and food insecurity. He said the community has rallied for community gardens and clean ups since the ambassadors were organized.
Slamka, who advocates for citizen action, said the ambassadors are a great vehicle for engaging with the city.
“There are many ways to get involved with your community and give back…We are all connected and we are all in this together. The care of our city is an adventure in which we all get to share," she said.
MORE DETAILS
Future data walks are planned for Spring 2026. Residents who are interested in joining the ambassadors can visit middletownconnect.com.
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