SAN ANTONIO – Our local nonprofits in San Antonio need help from the community now more than ever due to COVID-19 affecting its daily operations.
With an overwhelming response from the community, 36 nonprofit organizations reached out to KSAT Community to be potentially featured for Wishlist Wednesday.
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Instead of highlighting one nonprofit for Wishlist Wednesday this week, KSAT Community will be hosting Giving Tuesday to help 36 organizations.
If you would like to learn more about how Family Service needs support during the pandemic, please see below on the Q&A from the nonprofit.
Q. What is the mission/goal of the nonprofit?
A. Family Service’s mission is to empower individuals and families to transform their lives and strengthen our community. Through the support of our community, Family Service has offered comprehensive services to vulnerable populations since 1903. With various services in 14 counties throughout South Texas, our programs have grown to meet the changing needs of our community. Family Service offers wraparound services to address different facets of our clients’ lives, and we are dedicated to addressing the social determinants of health that affect where people live, learn, work, play and age.
Q. How does the nonprofit help the community?
A. Family Service offers a wide range of services focused around the social determinants of health: economic stability, education, health and health care, neighborhood support and social and community engagement. To enact true transformation for our clients, Family Service focuses on wraparound services impacting every stage of life from prenatal to seniors with a focus on intergenerational changes. We offer financial counseling for individuals and small businesses, behavioral health counseling for a range of needs including depression, anxiety and substance abuse, early childhood education, after school and in school STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) programs, a community center, parent education classes, workforce development, in-home care services for older adults, family strengthening programs and more.
Our programs address different facets of our clients’ lives because we understand their lives are not simple and neither are the challenges they face. By offering comprehensive services and developing strong community partnerships, Family Service helps elicit long-term success for our individuals and families.
Q. How has COVID-19 impacted your nonprofit?
A. Family Service has remained open throughout COVID-19. The needs of our families have not disappeared or paused because of COVID-19; the pandemic has only exacerbated previous needs and unearthed new ones. Many of our families are struggling more financially; 70% of our clients have lost their jobs or had reduced hours.
During COVID-19, Family Service has pivoted to meet the new needs of our community as they arise while ensuring the original needs of our clients do not fall through the cracks. Many of our services have moved to remote programming through social media groups, video chats, and phone calls. We are also conducting weekly check-ins with our clients across our programs to touch base on their family situation and their overall wellbeing. Some of our services, such as those helping to prevent child abuse, supervised visitations for separated families, and behavioral health counseling, need to continue with face-to-face visits. Family Service is categorized as an essential business, and we are committed to providing needed resources for our families.
Q. What type of donations do you need?
A. Our families were struggling to meet their basic needs before COVID-19, and the pandemic has exacerbated their needs. Hygiene items such as shampoo, soap and deodorant, and diapers are a large need. As families continue forward with online learning, school supplies is also quickly becoming a basic necessity.
Q. Do you need volunteers?
A. Yes. Our main need for volunteers, currently, is at Family Service KidShare and Family Service Neighborhood Place.
KidShare provides supervised visitations between custodial and noncustodial parents and supervised exchanges in a safe, supportive environment for families. We need volunteers to help us ensure the space is clean and disinfected for each family’s time together.
Family Service Neighborhood Place is our community center on the Westside. Neighborhood Place is home to Family Service programs and partner agencies. It is remaining open to be a safe haven for our families and provide continuing resources. Our programs need assistance assembling weekly activity packets for families that contain resources for us to continue forward with our programs as well as resources for the entire family.
Q. How can the community help?
A. We are in need of basic supplies for our families. For easy ordering, Family Service has created an Amazon Smile’s Wish list which contains the top needs of our families. You can also drop off needed hygiene items, school supplies, diapers, baby wipes, and cleaning supplies at our main office, 702 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio, Texas 78212. We always appreciate any monetary donations individuals in our community can make to help us continue to strengthen our overall community.
Website:
Facebook page:
Address:
702 San Pedro Ave. San Antonio, Texas 78212
Related:
Share your appreciation for our community: Send a frontline worker a virtual message
To see the full list of KSAT Community Giving Tuesday nonprofits featured, click here.
KSAT Community operates in partnership with University Health System, Energy Transfer and Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union.