BCFS Health and Human Services is a nonprofit organization committed to helping people. It helps adults with disabilities, youth from foster care, low-income parents, families in crisis, minors separated from their families, orphaned children, foster or adoptive families, victims of domestic violence, homeless youth, expectant mothers, and others facing hardship. The organization’s services help people through the challenges of the pandemic, which include economic hardship, health problems, and increased family tensions. In Corpus Christi, Texas, residents rely on the organization’s local office to serve as a lifeline during turbulent times.
The local office is run by Director Robin Soto. She manages a team who together help community members to find new jobs, overcome financial hardship, support their families, and overcome mental health issues. Her approach is to reach out to families and individuals with a personal approach that tackles every issue with enthusiasm and experience. The office’s efforts include career planning, parenting advice and strategies, and other services that improve people’s outlooks and economic prospects. The pandemic poses unique challenges to the Corpus Christi office because it required it to develop virtual content and service delivery in keeping with social distancing’s rules.
The efforts of the amazing team in Corpus Christ produced multiple successful outcomes. The organization helped a young mom named Lena* to overcome the loss of her school district job. Lena balanced looking for a new job (with BCFS’s assistance and strategies) along with raising a small child and preparing for a new baby. She accepted the office’s offer of one month’s rent payment along with job search resources. Through a local partner organization, she also received a new crib and other items to welcome the new baby.
Another Corpus Christi mother of four was struggling with her kids’ behavioral problems which became more acute during quarantine. To help with coping mechanisms and other strategies, this mom took BCFS’s parenting classes that are offered by experts in child development. These courses gave her insights into why kids “act out” and tactics for defusing tense situations and reducing the amount of anger in the household.
