Free Sunscreen Dispensers Installed at Parks, Beaches

 

State Grant is Funding Pilot Program in 10 Locations Across City

NEW BEDFORD – The City is piloting a free sunscreen dispensing program at 10 public locations as the summer draws to a close, and if the pilot proves successful, the dispensers are set to return for the entire summer next year.

Using funding from the state’s Public Health Excellence Shared Services grant program, channeled through the New Bedford Health Department, city crews have installed free, public sunscreen dispensers at recreational areas across the city, from beaches in the South End to parks in the North End. The Health Department selected locations with factors including foot traffic, accessibility, recreational use, visibility from streets and sidewalks, proximity to public transportation, and equitable distribution.

The sunscreen dispensers have been placed at the following locations:

  • East Beach
  • Fort Taber Bath House
  • West Beach, at the bath house
  • Cove Walk Entrance near Kilburn Mill
  • Harbor Walk Entrance near Rodney Street
  • Monte Park, near the pavilion, facing Acushnet Avenue
  • Buttonwood Park, on the paved path near the playground
  • Brooklawn Park, near the parking lot close to the playground and splash pad
  • Riverside Park, near the pavilion and splash pad
  • Noah’s Place Playground on Pope’s Island

“Sun protection is critical for public health, but it’s easy to forget about sunscreen when we’re outside for prolonged periods,” said Liza Rebello, the Health Department’s director of public health nursing. “We hope these dispensers will provide an easy solution for people enjoying New Bedford’s beautiful coastlines and recreational areas.”

The late-summer installation is a pilot program to assess usage of the dispensers, which will be in place through early fall. Should the pilot program be successful, the sunscreen dispensers are set to return for the full season next summer.

The Health Department is one of 51 recipients statewide of Public Health Excellence funding, from the Mass. Department of Public Health. The funding is intended to strengthen public health programs and resources, and to support shared services across municipalities. Accordingly, the Health Department also has used the funding to create a partnership among the New Bedford, Fairhaven, and Acushnet health departments, to strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of local public health protections.

The partnership is named the Southeastern Massachusetts Public Health Collaborative (SEMA Public Health) and offers public health nursing services, health communications, education, and outreach, along with training to strengthen the skills, knowledge, and qualifications of the public health workforce. The grant is funded for the next three years, with potential extension.

Fairhaven and Acushnet have also received public sunscreen dispensers.

Learn more at www.newbedford-ma.gov/health-department/ and www.semapublichealth.org.