RISE to OUR COVID RESPONSE
a
RESILIENCE
This year, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to take its toll on individuals and families nationwide. Particularly hard hit were members of at-risk neighborhoods in and around the Washington DC metropolitan area. Yet, even as the challenges grew exponentially greater, Washing- tonians were able to rely on a critical resource to help get them back on track. In the face of job losses, housing evictions, education interruptions and more, Collabora- tive Solutions for Communities (CSC) was there. Within weeks of the pandemic’s emergence, many of CSC’s seasoned employees were back on the streets, resuming their critical work to prevent gang violence, reduce school truancies, and enhance the welfare of women, men and children throughout the region. Part of that work included distributing masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE), which in many areas were in short supply. Also hard to come by were safe, reliable spaces for students to learn during a time when schools had gone virtual. For many of CSC’s clients, the difficulties of navigating complicated technology—and spotty internet connections—meant kids were left without critical academic support. CSC stepped into the gap, converting one of its offices into a space for hands-on learning.
classrooms,” Griffith said. “In addition to supervising the kids, staff also helped them stay focused—providing snacks and finding ways to make the situation fun. We saw school participation among these students dramatically improve, which was so gratifying.” CSC was a vital ally for students still at home, as well, said Hilda Martinez, a CSC client whose 13-year-old daughter accumulated multiple absences and truancies due to her inability to get online. “Quarantine made everything harder for us,” Martinez said. “But CSC helped me improve my communication with the school so I could speak directly with my daughter’s teacher and guidance counselor. Working together, we got a number of the absences excused, and now everything is better.” As CSC was helping students develop the stamina and focus to thrive academically, it was also supporting parents and families to keep their heads above water financially. “The pandemic hit a lot of our families really hard, with people losing their jobs and grappling with heightened anxiety due to a loss of income. In many cases, they didn’t know how they would be able to afford their rent,” recalled staffer Patricia Sullivan. CSC provided these families both reassurance and resources, offering food and assistance with applications for state aid.
“We had staff on site all day, Monday through Thurs- day, to be with students as they Zoomed into their
10
Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting