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Find It Cambridge: Local Resource Uniting the City
by Cassidy Chang
As a Cambridge-based organization focused on community-engaged work, uplifting and collaborating with other organizations in our community is vital. We would not be the organization we are today without community support, and the resource website, Find It Cambridge, has connected us to interested community members and uplifted our message. We believe in the power of linking interested residents to local resources to strengthen community ties and resilience, which is why we are spotlighting Find It Cambridge today!
What is Find It Cambridge?
Find It Cambridge is a website created by the City of Cambridge to uplift the resources the Cambridge community has to offer. Community organizations can list their programming, services, and activities on the website for residents to find. It’s a centralized place to connect locals to community organizations that fit their needs, supporting the Cambridge community’s network. Communities are improved by those who share their knowledge and resources with each other, and everyone benefits from learning about and sharing Find It Cambridge’s resources.
Find It Cambridge staff (Left Andrew Liedtka, Find It Cambridge Manager; right Nancy Tauber, Family Policy Council’s Executive Director) at a Cambridge Public Schools Resource Fair in September 2022.
Image: Find It Cambridge, 2022
Andrew Liedtka, the Find It Cambridge Manager, recently shared the motivation behind Find It with Climable. “Our goal for the new Find It Cambridge website is to make finding and comparing resources faster and easier for everyone. Cambridge has so many resources and it can be overwhelming for folks to get a complete picture of their options. The amount of time and energy it takes someone to scour the web on their own in search of help that isn’t guaranteed is more than most folks can muster. And in many cases, they’ll only be able to find the most popular websites – not the best programs for themselves or their families. Find It Cambridge levels the playing field so that finding support is quick and intuitive - and if anyone can’t figure it out or gets stuck, there’s an actual person you can call or email for help. We go above and beyond what any traditional website does because we’re real people that are part of this community and we listen to what our neighbors are telling us.”
How to access resources using Find It Cambridge’s Website
The website offers 12 categories to find the organization or program that works for you spanning youth opportunities and services, adult education, arts, career and college prep, social supports and public services, recreation, and STEM. Click on any of these categories and you’ll find several programs and organizations that fall under the category. To narrow your search, you can filter by various sub-categories. The categorical breakdown of this information allows you to find and understand the resources available in Cambridge more easily. Once you’ve located the program, service, or organization that fits your needs, you can navigate to its specific page within Find It Cambridge which contains contact information, instructions for accessing resources, event details, website links for further information on how to register, and more depending on the page.
The Find It Cambridge homepage, showing the 12 categories to aid in searching the website.
Image: Climable, 2024
For example, take a look at Climable's page on Find It Cambridge. It offers information about the organization, including contact details for our employees and a direct link to our website. When we schedule community events, we’ll add them to our page. Find It Cambridge users unfamiliar with Climable can learn about us and our work, extending our opportunity for impact. There are other environmental and energy-focused organizations on Find It. You can find most of them listed below, for convenience.
Environmental and Energy Services on Find It Cambridge
Click the title of an organization to learn more about what they do in Cambridge! Please remember that we tried to pull out as many energy and environmental organizations off Find It Cambridge as we could, but are likely missing some due to Find It Cambridge’s extensive catalog of resources.
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Description from Find It Cambridge: We are a service provided by the City of Cambridge to help residents, businesses, and institutions become more energy efficient and access renewable energy services.
Additional Information: Cambridge Energy Alliance is run by the Community Development Department and All in Energy and connects residents to:
No-cost Mass Save energy assessments for all Cambridge buildings
No-cost weatherization services for low-income residents
Financing options for solar energy and energy upgrades
Educational resources on energy efficiency and renewables
Website: cambridgeenergyalliance.org
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Overview: CitySprouts introduces school gardens as a core element of children's public education.
Additional Information: CitySprouts works in Mid-Cambridge and Riverside, partnering with public schools to ensure that hands-on learning, environmental stewardship, and the experience of growing and eating healthy food become part of every child's life.
Website: citysprouts.org
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Overview: Our programs promote sustainable transportation and green commuting.
Additional Information: Since its founding in 2006, Green Streets has been inspiring people to rethink and celebrate their commutes. Whether in schools, workplaces, or communities, our inclusive and fun approaches have shown how using sustainable transportation can improve the health of individuals and communities.
Website: www.gogreenstreets.org
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Overview: Our programs promote sustainable transportation and green commuting.
Additional Information: Since its founding in 2006, Green Streets has been inspiring people to rethink and celebrate their commutes. Whether in schools, workplaces, or communities, our inclusive and fun approaches have shown how using sustainable transportation can improve the health of individuals and communities.
Website: gogreenstreets.org
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Overview: Mass Audubon protects 38,000 acres of land throughout Massachusetts, saving birds and other wildlife, and making nature accessible to all.
Additional Information: As Massachusetts' largest nature conservation nonprofit, we welcome more than a half million visitors a year to our wildlife sanctuaries and 20 nature centers. From inspiring hilltop views to breathtaking coastal landscapes, serene woods, and working farms, we believe in protecting our state's natural treasures for wildlife and for all people. Mass Audubon is headquartered in Lincoln, Massachusetts, and serves the entirety of Massachusetts.
Website: massaudubon.org
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Overview: Project Bread takes a fresh approach to ending hunger.
Additional Information: Project Bread is headquartered in East Boston. Their mission is to develop multiple solutions that meet people where they are — solutions that provide people of all ages and walks of life with sustainable, reliable access to nutritious food.
Website: projectbread.org
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Overview: We build community wellness and cross-cultural understanding, and value diversity in our food systems and cultures.
Additional Information: The organization aims to improve the lives of economically, socially disadvantaged, and underserved individuals in the Greater Boston area and New England Region through its economic development programs in achieving strong communities. Events affiliated with our organization are Boston JerkFest and Boston Local Food Festival.
Website: Sustainable Food and Culture, Inc.
Cambridge residents have a long history of uplifting and supporting each other and Find It Cambridge is a website that extends the community spirit into a modern, 21st-century solution. Having a resource like Find It Cambridge on hand is crucial whether you’re interested in finding educational programs, volunteer opportunities, weekend events, or just learning more about your community. We hope that in sharing this resource and these examples with you today you will be able to find cool and interesting activities happening around Cambridge more easily.
Happy searching!