The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
Family Service adapted by remaining open, and choosing to continue to see clients in-person so long as they felt comfortable with doing so. Given that many of our clients face the digital divide, it would have been impossible for us to continue providing high-quality direct services online. We took appropriate precautions at all times and continued to follow CDC guidelines regarding masks, social distancing, and hand washing/maintaining sanitary environments.
In 2020, we saw a 800% increase in emergency assistance requests, and helped an average of 1,900 families each week. At the height of the pandemic, 50% of the families we served lost jobs or had reduced hours. We met the needs of our families by providing them basic essentials, case management support, cleaning and disinfecting supplies, gift and gas cards, and hygiene items. Our resources for families included in-person crisis services, tech support for online learning, job searches, and community resources, one-on-one sessions for online learning support, in-person and telehealth mental counseling sessions, online tutoring sessions and curriculum completion for after school programs, and the delivery of basic supplies, food items, and more for families, as well as continuing to provide direct services as part of our programs.