SALEM – The Office of Mayor Dominick Pangallo has announced that it is hosting the next round of a new program: the Mobile Mayor’s Office. Through this program, the Mayor’s office periodically relocates for all or a portion of a day to serve the public from a location beyond of the walls of City Hall and bring City services directly to neighborhoods.
“We’re always thinking about how we can help improve access for community members to their local government,” said Mayor Pangallo. “We want everyone to be able to connect with our team easily and conveniently. We found the first rounds of this program in November of last year and in February of this year to be successful and well-received, and now we are working to expand it and offer this service more regularly and throughout more parts of our city.”
The Mobile Mayor’s Office, just like City Hall to Go, is one more way that the City is striving to remove barriers for residents to access City services. During a Mobile Mayor’s Office, staff from the Mayor’s office will be working entirely from locations directly within the community. The next Mobile Mayor’s Office takes place at the Mayor Jean Levesque Community Life Center on Tuesday, May 21st, from 8:00am to 4:00pm.
An extra special event will be occurring at this month’s Mobile Mayor’s Office. Bates Elementary School students recently participated in an enrichment activity with The Salem Children’s Alliance (“SCA”), a newly launched program through the Mayor’s office. The Salem Children’s Alliance works closely with community partners to determine shared goals and bolster supports by creating equitable and accessible pathways for families to navigate resources that will set children up for success. Sarah Roy, SCA Director, visited with Bates K-5th grade students earlier this month to create a community art project that students will present as a gift to the Council on Aging during a field trip to the Community Life Center on May 21st at 11:00am. Bates students will highlight their work and spend time having lunch with older adults. Sarah Roy worked with Iva Gojanovic, Bates adjustment counselor, to create a Social Emotional Learning lesson focused on teaching students about the power of their words and actions, the importance of embracing individuality, and giving back to their community. This multigenerational event will allow students to view themselves as leaders as they connect with community in a meaningful way.
“Our youngest residents have the power to positively impact their community, starting with learning
about empathy for others,” said Sarah Roy, the Director of the Salem Children’s Alliance, “Bates students read the book How Full Is Your Bucket by Tom Rath, and learned about the importance of embracing their unique identity, while building awareness of how their words and actions impact those around them. This project is an opportunity for these students to begin viewing themselves as powerful and important and will serve as a building block for future civic engagement opportunities in their schools and beyond.”
Mayor Pangallo’s office will be stationed at the Community Life Center from 8:00am-4:00pm on Tuesday, May 21st. The Mobile Mayor’s Office welcomes community members to visit the CLC with questions or concerns. Future Mobile Mayor’s Office dates, times, and locations will be announced on www.salemma.gov/mayor and on the City calendar at www.salemma.gov/calendar.
