Task force gives voice to those most impacted by pandemic

Those hit hardest by the pandemic are not often the most vocal, the most visible. A group of eleven people from disproportionately affected communities are sharing their experiences to bring awareness and invite solutions to help the most vulnerable get through these hard times.

The COVID-19 Community Task Force was formed in August as a way for Boulder County government and local nonprofits to better understand the daily realities of those who were being most impacted. The group gets together monthly by video conference to share what they're going through and report on what they've learned by speaking with other members of their community - identifying needs, barriers, gaps in services and potential solutions to help people get support that would make life a little easier.

"I think it's really important to ask the people who are the ones in the predicament, in the situation, rather than people sitting in a room around a table figuring out what the people might need," said one task force member who didn't want to share her name and bring attention to herself. "It's just different if you're one of the people who is vulnerable. Every day you are facing that."

The task force member said she is confined to her home because she is medically vulnerable. She is unemployed and can't get a job where she can work at home or go someplace where she feels safe. Telephone calls and video conferencing are her touchstones to the outside world. "I'm frustrated, like a lot of people probably are, and I wanted to help," she said.

She applied for the task force, which had a goal of recruiting people who don't typically engage with government and who represented communities that are being disproportionately impacted like Latinx and other people of color, older Americans, people who are undocumented, those with disabilities, LGBTQI, people without homes, and others.

"We are getting voices we don't usually get to hear. Great perspectives," said Garry Sanfacon, who works in disaster recovery for Boulder County as COVID Co-Recovery Manager.

Sanfacon said one of those perspectives is from a deaf member of the task force, "With masks, all the sudden they can't lip read. If offices are closed, they can't go in and see people. They have to call them and, with deaf people, the telephone doesn't work. The whole hearing impaired and deaf barrier was a big eye opener for me. I have huge privilege in being able to hear. I think you just take that for granted and don't think about it. The challenges they have just to communicate and work with the government and get services was a big eye opener and something I am personally committed to advocate for within the county."

The task force has also confirmed areas of need like child care, business and workforce challenges, online education, youth development, mental and physical health. The first step is exposing the issues, solutions are next.

Staff from Boulder County government, nonprofits and business sectors like child care are invited to attend the meetings. They listen, ask questions and gather ideas for how to improve their services. It's a way to turn awareness into action and forge relationships that can expand community engagement now and beyond the pandemic.

Culture brokers are also part of the process of relationship building. Each task force member is paired with someone from government or a nonprofit organization. Culture brokers act as a bridge between different cultures, organizations, government and other segments of society. They understand how to navigate bureaucracies, access services or operate within unfamiliar systems. Boulder County has used culture brokers before, though the term is relatively new. The partnerships have been especially helpful in connecting with the Spanish-speaking community, Sanfacon said.

As task force members get to know each other, they are gaining an understanding of how each person and each community is facing problems that others may not realize, Sanfacon said. "They empathize and learn and support each other and each other's unique challenges."

The task force member we spoke with said she has become more compassionate as she hears the experiences of fellow members, "I am personally learning how this is affecting people in deep and serious ways and it just opens my heart." It breaks it too, she said. "Emotionally, I get very sad and drained. The pattern I see is those who are vulnerable have become increasingly vulnerable."

The hope is that the task force will give voice to those who are struggling the most and lead to new understanding, relationships, and solutions that will help people through the current crisis and lead to a stronger, more connected community in the future.

Sanfacon said the task force has shown such promise that his managers have already indicated they want it to continue past its nine-month term, either as the same unit or with new people.