Poster Project Keeps Dixwell Strong

“We are responsible, strong and safe,” said Dixwell resident and neighborhood organizer Fred Christmas, whose vision to recognize and thank his neighborhood celebrated Saturday.

The ​“Dixwell Strong” celebration on the Shelton Avenue, Dixwell Avenue, and Munson Street rotary revealed four locally made posters showing appreciation for Dixwell’s residents’ resilience amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

Organizers also handed out 400 masks to passers-by and arranged a pop-up testing site with the city at The New Haven Opportunity Center on Dixwell Avenue. 

Christmas’ vision received help and support from many including Nina Silva, Dixwell management team chair; Ward 21 Alder Steve Winter; and area churches.

The two designs for the posters were made by local artist Brian McCall. Two posters were put on the fence across from the traffic-triangle intersection of Dixwell Avenue and Munson, with duplicates across the street on the fence of the Mt. Gideon Faith Fellowship Church.

Silva said she wanted to help organize the celebration to give Dixwell 2020 graduates, seniors, mask-wearers, and those who t got tested a big thank you for staying strong during the pandemic.

“Whatever you’re enduring we want to say thank you. We see and love you,” she said.

Last week the organizers shared a flyer to neighbors to celebrate on Saturday by putting balloons and posters outside of their homes. Christmas also went door to door to residents in the area to remind them and ask for their participation and support. ​“We want those coming from Hamden and Downtown to see how vibrant the avenue looks, and how strong and unified we are,” Christmas said.

Winter got ahold of the 400 masks that were distributed and reached out to the city health department to have the testing site nearby on Saturday. A cardboard sign on Winters’ bike read, ​“New Haven Get Tested.”

“This is something we really needed right now. Times were bleak,” Winter said. ​“This will hopefully lift the community’s spirits and keep them going strong.”

Neighbors joined Christmas, Silva, and WInter to put the posters up, distribute masks, and point people in the direction of the testing site.

Pat Solomon, Troy Streater, Ward 21 Democratic Co-Chair Raymond Jackson, Dixwell Community Management Team Vice-Chair Crystal Gooding, and Livable City Initiative (LCI) Dixwell specialist Diondrea Brown were among the many who passed out masks to walkers and drivers waiting in traffic.

Beulah Heights First Pentecostal Church also supported the organizers and had church leader, Darrell Brooks visit to pick up a box of masks to distribute further into the community.

Christmas thought of the heart masked-up poster in order to push his neighborhood to keep up with wearing masks and being safe. The second poster represented New Haven pride, Christmas said.

Jackson agreed and showed his support Saturday to get masks in the hands of youth specifically and to remind them to take the pandemic seriously. while also shedding a positive light on the Dixwell area.

“We got over the peak of Covid, and we’re still staying strong,” Christmas said.