Drum roll, please.
The Town of Newmarket today launched its #StandApartTogether campaign to shine a light on the bright side and spread positivity during these unprecendented and difficult times fighting the spread of COVID-19.
And it has announced an inaugural group of 10 Community Positivity Ambassadors to help achieve that, each one of whom embody the local spirit and already act as a beacon of hope, Mayor John Taylor said.
“The Community Positivity Ambassador’s job is to spread good stories about people doing good things, and funny videos, and the whole point is to lift the spirit of the community and remind people that we need to protect our mental health and not get pulled down,” Taylor told NewmarketToday. “That’s not to say we still shouldn’t be vigilant, not to say, ‘Oh, don’t worry’. It’s to say let’s try to lift each other up.”
Newmarket, meet your inaugural Community Positivity Ambassadors, and follow them at their social media links to comment, share, and spread their positivity:
Residents can expect to see happiness and humour from the ambassadors as they use social media to share stories of Newmarket’s bright side and perseverance in difficult times.
“Now, while we are physically standing apart to flatten the curve, we need to come together as a community to persevere and uplift our collective spirit,” Taylor said. “It’s time to reach out socially to a fellow parent, a neighbour, a friend, your favourite local business and especially those in need.”
“I believe strongly that we must take seriously the collective mental health of our community in these difficult and stressful times,” he said. “That is why today, I am announcing the appointment of 10 Community Positivity Ambassadors.”
The town will announce new Community Positivity Ambassadors each week to join the team. You can get involved by volunteering to be one or to nominate someone by emailing [email protected].
“While we work to raise community spirit, we also want to ensure that our staff providing essential services continue to see the light, too,” Taylor said. “That’s why we have appointed our first Chief Positivity Officer, Jamie Boyle. A resident himself, Jamie is one of the helpful and cheerful voices on the Customer Service line and embodies positivity and perseverance.”
Here’s how you can get involved:
Every resident can help Stand Apart Together. Join the Newmarket movement by using the hashtag #StandApartTogether to share stories of fellow residents, businesses, non-profits or town staff going well beyond the ordinary during the state of emergency. Please remember to tag @townofnewmarket in your post.
Not on social media? Email your story and photo to [email protected]
Here’s how you can stay vigilant and flatten the curve, meaning to slow the spread of the coronavirus so that health-care systems are not overwhelmed:
While it’s important to focus on ways to improve a community’s collective mental health, residents must also practise the latest recommendations from public health experts to flatten the curve. Stay vigilant, self isolate, social distance and stay home when possible.
“We can’t let down our guard but we can reach out through social media and the phone every day with some positive stories and positive thoughts,” Taylor said. “Newmarket is a community that cares deeply for one another and, today, our Community Positivity Ambassadors are ready to start the wave of positivity that we can all share with each other.”
Learn more here.
