Allan Appel Photo
The official new city “Kindness” bracelet.
If someone on the street is lost, help them, or hold a door open. Or just say hello more often.
Make sure your voicemail boxes are not full; that frequently irritates callers for city services.
Respond to message-leavers within 24 hours. And when you respond and begin speaking, treat the person “as if it’s your mother.”
Those were among the suggestions presented by city government department heads at the launching Tuesday morning of a “Kindness Initiative” at a press conference convened on the second floor of City Hall.
Mayor Toni Harp said she was inspired to charge her departments with ideas to promote kindness when she heard about such programs in Louisville, Kentucky, and Anaheim, California, at a gathering of mayors last year.
She said those cities reported that individual acts of kindness “decreased bullying and reduced crime in some categories.”
“New Haven is already a terrific city,” Harp said. “But for New Haven to become known as ‘The City That Cares,’ we’ll need to do a little more. This Kindness Initiative is the first step.”
Community Services Administration’s Lynn Nicolari bracelets Wolf with kindness.
In addition to ongoing city programs for young people, the poor, and homeless — like coat drives and turkey dinners for the upcoming cold weather and holidays — department heads unveiled some new “kindness” ideas Tuesday.
• City economic development czar Matt Nemerson said he will “make operational” a directive for staffers to keep those voicemail boxes open, to start out a relationship between a caller and a city employee on a good footing. He acknowledged that it’s particularly irksome when someone calls with an issue and the staffer’s mailbox cannot even accept a message.
• City Chief Administrative Officer Michael Carter said the parks & rec department, which he supervises, is working on a “Be kind to yourself and your dog” day.
•Director of Arts, Culture & Tourism Andy Wolf said a new city is being added to New Haven Sister Cities portfolio: Changsha, in central Hunan Province of China, where Yale medical students established a hospital and now famous secondary school, called Yali, 110 years ago. “That relationship now flourishes with this gesture to position New Haven as a global destination for kindness and innovation in the creativity economy,” Will wrote in his prepared remarks.
• Emergeny 911 call center chief Michael Briscoe promised that his staff will say hi to people they pass and open doors for folks.
Chief Campbell and the mayor.
• Acting Police Chief Anthony Campbell referenced “Cops and Coffee” events and upcoming “Cops and Pizza” events where officers get to know citizens and people and neighbors. His word to his officers:“Make sure when you leave, that that person’s humanity is acknowledged.”
Interim Fire Chief John Alston said he plans to direct fire personnel — who meet people in their homes in stressful moments — to take the extra step, or as he put it, “Focus on the individual, not only the problem.”
Alston said an act of spontaneous kindness 51 years ago — when he was 4 years old he got a ride on a fire engine — changed his life forever.
I like this idea. Interesting. I have at the most had no issues with city workers responding. Well maybe a time or 5 but I am also a seasoned city resident who knows who to call if I get no were. I hate being blown off. And guess what people know when they are. Address the issues. That is simple respect.