Program Growth Broadening Our Reach This year, Collaborative Solutions for Communities (CSC) continued to advance its influence—and spread its wings— across the District of Columbia and beyond.
Over the past year, Collaborative Solutions for Communities (CSC) has continued to advance its influence—and spread its wings—across the District of Columbia and beyond. One of the nonprofit’s latest endeavors: an expansion of services to neighboring Prince George’s County in Maryland. Extending its umbrella of support reflects an increased emphasis at CSC on pursuing a more regional approach to meeting our diverse clients’ needs. “We’re seeing more and more that the issues we cover—whether it’s violence prevention, foster care, or reentry—are occurring regionally, meaning they’re no longer contained within DC’s borders,” said Trinette Hawkins-Coleman, CSC’s chief of staff. “One example of something that is becoming more common, a child we’re supporting might live in DC but spend time with extended family in Prince George’s County. We want to be able to reach that child and lift them up no matter where they are, and that requires casting a wider net in terms of our service area.”
To maximize the impact of its expansion, CSC has joined forces with other local social services agencies, each bringing its own unique expertise. The agencies are sharing physical space in National Harbor and coming together to offer a vast network of resources to clients seeking critical assistance. “It’s the perfect place for us to be because it’s an employment hub: MGM is there; Gaylord is nearby, and the outlets are close. So, we can give our clients a direct connection to employment opportunities, and at the same time, put them in touch with other nonprofit partners who can help address issues they may be having in their lives,” Hawkins-Coleman said. One such partner is the American Job Center (AJC), which has a large footprint in Prince George’s County and has built a track record of success in obtaining jobs for many of the county’s low-income residents. The National Harbor location is also home to AJC, and the organization has opened its space to CSC and other
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