As part of Hispanic Heritage Month 2019, the Township of North Bergen has expanded its community outreach by launching ¡Hola North Bergen!, the first official Spanish-language Facebook page produced by a municipality in New Jersey.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the webpage has taken on a more serious role.
¡Hola North Bergen! has become a critical portal for distributing information in Spanish about the efforts the township is making to address the ongoing crisis. Important information is posted daily about school and municipal closures, parking regulations, Health Department updates, business and tenant resources, among other important updates.
North Bergen is home to a large Hispanic population. According to 2019 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, 70.9 percent of township residents were estimated to be Hispanic or Latino. Providing information to residents in a language that they are more likely to speak or understand is key during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Strong communication with our residents has always been a key objective of my administration, and ¡Hola North Bergen! is designed to strengthen the ties and transparency with our Hispanic community,” said Mayor Nicholas Sacco.
“I’m pleased to have launched this initiative to provide timely news, resources, and information in a format that is easily accessible to our Spanish-speaking residents, providing for greater safety and well-being within our community.”
Minute-by-minute COVID-19 updates
Commissioner Julio Marenco echoed Mayor Sacco, noting how the webpage is vital during the current crisis in keeping all residents in the township informed.
“Everyone knows how social media is a vital way to keep connected to what is going on around us,” said Commissioner Marenco. “With this Spanish-language page, the lines of communication are greatly expanded and available 24/7 to keep everyone up to date on upcoming activities, policy issues, police and safety concerns, and much more.”
In this critical situation it’s vital for residents to be able to receive information quickly that they can also understand thoroughly. Through ¡Hola North Bergen!, the township is able to keep residents updated on a minute-by-minute basis.
On the webpage, residents can normally find photos and news on events in town, from job postings and road closures to social events like Winterfest or National Night Out. However, now the page is filled with lists of closures, a daily tally of infected residents and other measures the township is taking to curtail the further spread of the virus.
¡Hola North Bergen! joins the township’s existing social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as the website, Help Desk, and NB Connect, in ensuring that North Bergen residents are safe, well-informed, and have round-the-clock access to timely resources, news, and information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The webpage is updated frequently with detailed information about the township and its departments response to the virus, including Police, Health, Parking, Public Works, and Recreation among others.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.
