The pandemic does not discriminate when it comes to hardship. It causes communities from coast to coast to struggle with job losses, family tensions, and other related issues. It shifted the ways people work and live, how they learn, and the ways they receive various services. Handling these changes is difficult, especially for people who have lost their jobs during the crisis. Families need additional support.
In Corpus Christi, Texas, many families are struggling during the pandemic. Helping these families is BCFS Health and Human Services, a leader in emergency management and response, vocational training for adults, mental health services for children and families, and various other services. The organization runs a local Corpus Christi office led by Director Robin Soto and a team of dedicated and experienced staff members.
Director Soto and her group oversee the organization’s efforts including family planning, educational opportunities, and pairing residents with access to other nonprofits. She and her team tackle problems head on, and every person as an individual, developing a plan that meets specific needs for that specific person. They help as many people as they can to thrive personally, academically, and within their family units. A core challenge during the pandemic was the team had to transition its service and content delivery to mostly virtual communications to meet social distancing guidelines.
The office’s work helped two Corpus Christi mothers overcome some challenges and move forward with confidence. They helped Lena*, a mother with a small child and one on the way, to find a new job after she lost her employment at the local school district. By providing Lena with a month’s rent payment and job resources, she was able to quickly start her new job and continue to provide for her family. BCFS Health and Human Services also partnered with a local agency who gave Lena a crib and other baby items to welcome her upcoming child.
Another Corpus Christi mother of four received the office’s help with her children’s’ behavioral issues. The family was under considerable stress due to virtual learning and quarantine, and the mother took some parenting classes through the office to learn coping strategies. These classes helped her to deescalate family issues.
