Caban Q&A: outreach campaigns, languages, and targeted marketing
Caban asks about outreach campaigns and available languages. Mata describes the Dwyer program's varied activities across boroughs, marketing in multiple languages, and targeted roundtables with female veterans and LGBTQ+ veterans to determine best communication approaches.
So you mentioned the Instagram account and the weekly newsletter.
Can you talk about any other types of outreach or public awareness campaigns and also what languages they're available in?
Just the breadth of what's being done in terms of proactive outreach.
Well, thank you for the question, Council Member.
As I mentioned, I'm very happy to know that the WIRE program is going to be fully implemented this year and that the nonprofits will actually get the funding that they need and deserve in order to continue that work because
where when there are barriers oftentimes is because it's how can we better certain individuals be reached, but also communicated at.
And like, if you are not familiar with the Dwyer program, just to elaborate a little bit on that, the Dwyer program, it goes from dancing, it goes from yoga, it goes from like doing exercise.
It's different ways that veterans are being reached in different boroughs, because even, for example, like myself, I am from Staten Island, and I...
Communicate better in Staten Island.
Like I know what, like we know our lingo, we know like if they say, oh go to Snug Harbor, I know where Snug Harbor is, right?
So it's an example that the beauty of this, the DeWire program is that it's going to be in all five boroughs and the groups are gonna be fully supported by getting the funding that they need.
And in addition to that, I believe a lot and the agency believes a lot on marketing and ensuring that not only do we have it on a specific language, but that we have it in different languages that we also reach out.
I know as a female veteran myself and a soldier myself, I also know that I want to be reached out differently when it comes to female veteran issues.
I also know when it comes to LGBTQ issues, I'd rather hear from the LGBTQ community themselves to let us know how they would like to be communicated at.
So marketing is important.
However, we will not move forward with marketing without having those roundtables with those that are directly impacted to let us know how they want us to market.
Thank you.