#communityservices — Public Fediverse posts

Bridge Michigan: Michigan libraries expand beyond books — and walls — by going outdoors. “Libraries aren’t just places to check out books anymore. Across Michigan, they’re expanding into community hubs, offering outdoor spaces, programs, tools and other services designed to meet the changing needs of the people who use them — and are reading less. One trend: StoryWalks, outdoor paths […]

Central Current: Research, edits and Thurgood Marshall’s voice: How Syracuse officials are using AI. “As Syracusans grow more attuned to the private sector’s increasing use of AI, Central Current asked the city and Common Council if and how elected officials and their staffers are using AI. In a statement to Central Current, Mayor Sharon Owens said AI represents an opportunity to enhance […]

Greater Greater Washington: DC’s care networks are an urban feature. Governance needs to catch up. “Who is already doing the work of producing health equity in the district, and how does governance support that work? That question is a recurring theme in the DC Voices of Care oral history project, part of Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative. The project documents the […]

Florida Phoenix: Florida Democrats press DeSantis administration for details about AI contract for SNAP. “Florida Democrats want to know how the state plans to use artificial intelligence to lower its error rate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). To help the state lower its error rate and avoid having to contribute as much as $1 billion toward food costs next year under […]

TechCrunch: Librarians are hosting viral ‘Avoiding AI’ workshops for people who are fed up with Big Tech. “AI naysayers know that this technology is far broader than just chatbots and deepfake apps. [Hannah] Cyrus mentioned how useful optical character recognition is for scanning old documents at the library. But for her and the people who go to her workshops, the anti-AI movement isn’t […]

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Shapiro Administration Launches New Statewide Resource for Families Navigating a Loved One’s Substance Use Disorder. “Caregiver Connection is a website for parents, grandparents, siblings and others supporting a loved one with SUD. It is a one-stop shop of resources such as locating a local or online support group, connecting with others who understand what […]

Spectrum News 1: Kentucky launches domestic violence data dashboard. “Kentucky has launched a new public dashboard that allows users to track domestic violence data by county and region, according to a news release. The dashboard also provides Kentuckians with information on shelters, support services, offenders and law enforcement outcomes.”

Chicago Reader: WHPK builds a digital archive to broadcast its place in music history. “On Sunday, nonprofit community radio station WHPK announced an ongoing effort to digitize its collection of program guides and magazines. The University of Chicago provides the great bulk of WHPK’s funding, and the station’s headquarters are in the school’s main student center, the Reynolds Club. […]

American Library Association: American Library Association launches national advocacy campaign to fight FCC attack on library funding. “The American Library Association (ALA), along with Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition partners, announced a national advocacy campaign today after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to advance a proposal that asks whether the […]

State of New York: New York State Office of Children and Family Services Launches New Family Guide to Child Care and Early Childhood Resources. “The New York State Office of Children and Family Services today announced the launch of a new online Family Guide to Child Care and Early Childhood Resources, including an enhanced, user-friendly child care search tool, to help families more easily […]

Edinburgh community garden has been awarded funding for next phase of growth https://www.allforgardening.com/1835766/edinburgh-community-garden-has-been-awarded-funding-for-next-phase-of-growth/ #CommunityEngagement #CommunityGarden #CommunityServices #garden #HaysCommunityHub #SafeDepositsScotlandCommunityFund

New Mexico Courts: New Mexico Courts HelpLine offers assistance to navigate the civil legal system. This link goes to a PDF file. “Trained staff with the New Mexico Courts HelpLine are available six days a week by telephone to provide legal information and answer questions about state courts. The no-cost service guides people to court forms and rules for filing or responding to lawsuits, […]

Illinois Secretary of State: Giannoulias Announces First-Ever Statewide Digital Library Resource Program. “Through their local library, or through the Illinois State Library’s website, every Illinois resident now has free access to a vast collection of trusted online resources, including e-books, journals, magazines, newspapers and research databases. Content is provided through an annual […]

Florida State University: FSU alumni launch AI startup to make legislation more accessible. “Florida State University alumni are using artificial intelligence to help make legislation easier to understand. Their startup, Delilah, is an AI-powered platform that summarizes complex bills and allows users to ask questions about proposed laws through a conversational interface. Founded by recent […]

Kansas Reflector: Kansas secretary of state moves 60-year-old system from paper to online. “In place of the previous paper-based system is a public website that launched Tuesday. [Scott] Schwab said the new digital system improves transparency, efficiency and cost. Users can view proposed regulations, search an in-progress archival catalogue and subscribe to email notices for scheduled public […]

VT Digger: A new body will recommend how state government and Vermont businesses could adopt AI. “Through an executive order, Gov. Phil Scott created the Vermont Artificial Intelligence Economic Taskforce on Monday. And first on its agenda, the body must present up to five recommendations within 90 days for how state government could adopt AI to better serve the public.”

This is Reno: New online tool helps Nevadans find their polling place . “A new online tool on the Nevada secretary of state’s website is available to help voters find their polling location before the June 9 primary election.”

Athens County Independent: Athens chatbot helps some users, frustrates others. “Athens residents used the city’s ‘Benny the Brick’ artificial intelligence chatbot in its first year to access varied local information, but the bot’s limitations left many users frustrated. The AI chatbot on the Athens city website uses information from the site, as well as a manually entered dataset, to […]

University of Washington: UW researchers launch ‘little free pantry’ mapping pilot, internet-connected pantries in Seattle. “Now, anyone who interacts with micropantries or community fridges in the Seattle area can try out an experimental app, made by University of Washington researchers, that brings a suite of new features to the micropantry network. The app, called PantryMap.org, maps […]

State of Colorado: Governor Polis Announces New Tool to Help Coloradans Navigate Life After Disaster. “Today, Governor Polis announced the new Colorado Disaster Recovery Navigation Tool to help Coloradans navigate recovery and rebuild after natural disasters. This new tool provides a step-by-step guide for what to do in the aftermath, immediate and long-term, of a natural disaster.”

Native News Online: New Tool Maps Native Serving Healthcare. “[Indigenous Healthcare Advancements] announced today the launch of WayFinder, a free, web-based locator that maps Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities, tribally operated 638 programs, urban Indian health organizations, and community health centers that provide care to Native patients.”

WABE: PAD launches public database to track calls, outcomes for community services. “A new public dashboard from Atlanta’s Policing Alternatives and Diversion Initiative shows a growing number of Atlantans are calling 311 for non-emergency supportive services, but still rely on 911 for a majority of calls. Since 2021, PAD has responded to calls that otherwise would have gone to the police, […]

State of Michigan: MDHHS launches statewide map to expand access to free gun locks and promote safe firearm storage. “The interactive map identifies 150 locations across Michigan where individuals can obtain free cable-style gun locks and provides an opportunity for community organizations, health departments and other partners to request supplies to distribute locally.”

Maryland Matters: Maryland property search tool is back online, nearly two weeks after cyber attack. “Maryland’s property ownership database is back online as of Monday after a nearly two-week hiatus because of a cybersecurity incident. After state officials detected suspicious activity on their servers, they took down the state officials took the State Department of Assessments and Taxation […]

The Register: Stale gov.uk pages are feeding AI overviews old data and Brits are believing it. “AI overviews from the likes of Google are serving up false summaries of UK government information by drawing on stale GOV.UK pages, according to content designers at the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). The problem, senior content designer Giorgio Di Tunno and content operations lead Neil […]

Block Club Chicago: Illinois Launches Online Resources For Households On Federal Food Assistance. “Ahead of an estimated 150,000 Illinois households losing access to federal food assistance on May 1, Illinois launched two websites aimed at providing work, training and volunteer hours to those households. Job Ready IL collects training programs and employment opportunities, while Serve Illinois […]

Maryland Matters: Maryland property search tool goes offline after cyber threat. “Maryland’s online property records database has been offline for nearly a week following a cybersecurity breach, according to a statement from the State Department of Assessments and Taxation. State officials believe that compromised systems only included public records that users could already find on the SDAT […]