By Kisha Thomas
These new services allow us to be a more visual presence in the community.
Disaster In 2020, the Welcome Center will focus on developing a disaster program by providing case management services to those households affected by natural and man-made disasters. The need for disaster case management services came after the spring and summer of 2019 when flooding in northwest Missouri overwhelmed those communities. Currently, nine out of 27 counties are eligible for disaster case management. The Welcome Center case management services will include identifying and assessing needs and developing a plan to address those needs. This can include emergency assistance, education, and both internal and external referrals when necessary.
Outreach Our Welcome Center team knows maintaining strong community partnerships are essential to treating the whole person. This year, the Welcome Center will work to educate our 27 counties on the services being made available through our expansion of community partnerships. To do so, we are adjusting service delivery by providing onsite education and emergency assistance to those unable to come to our physical locations. This will provide opportunities to strengthen parish relationships, partner with rural and urban social service agencies, and increase marketing efforts to attract additional Welcome Center funding.
Radical Uplifting Part of what makes the Welcome Center unique is we are the single point of entry and work most intimately with our other pillars of service (Children and Family Services, Employment Services, and Housing Services). Recently, we decided to partner even more closely with our Employment Services to pilot a new project. The service consists of clients meeting with an Employment Services specialist before or after they meet with a Welcome Center Resource Specialist, as 70% of all clients coming in are either underemployed or lack employment altogether. The Radical Uplifting project ensures all clients are met in their unique employment needs. We are excited to continue providing this service to clients, eliminating poverty and guiding clients toward self-sufficiency.
Senior Care Services We are establishing Senior Care Services, which will work to expand partnerships with wellness clinics and provide clients basic health information and education. This basic health information includes oxygen checks and blood pressure and blood sugar checkups. Based on the results, clients will receive the education necessary to improve their overall health status. Senior Care Services will be provided at senior housing properties, community fairs, and will expand into rural and disaster-struck areas. For many people, these services will provide an insight into personal health that may have been otherwise unavailable or overlooked due to the lack of prior accessibility.
Thank you for your support of the Welcome Center. We look forward to a new, exciting and transformational year here at Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph. For more information, contact Kisha Thomas at kthomas@ccharities.com or call 816-659-8237.
