Sharing Hope and Help, All Day Long . . .

Due to the pandemic, it has become necessary for us all to be more flexible than we ever imagined! The Social Workers at AlphaCare have been constantly adapting and stretching their knowledge and experience since March 2020 in order to continue offering our moms excellent ongoing care and services despite very challenging circumstances. Join us as we walk through a typical day’s activities – Covid-style – to see what their responsibilities include…

Nohemi is scheduled to meet with Brianna remotely on Monday morning. Before the phone meeting takes place, Brianna has already replied to a bevy of emails and texts from various clients and other staff members, as well as reviewed Nohemi’s file to be sure she has all the information Nohemi will need. The call lasts approximately 45 minutes with intermittent interruptions from Nohemi’s active toddler and one dropped connection due to Nohemi’s spotty phone service. Brianna then proceeds to the follow-up portion of her responsibilities: documenting what took place during the meeting and making notes for future needs.

Brianna moves on to contacting resources on behalf of Nohemi, who is seeking a job. Of course, due to the pandemic, this task is harder than ever: some resource sites are open only for limited hours, others are offering downsized services and still others have staff working exclusively from home (which can lead to time-consuming telephone tag on a regular basis). Brianna has become an expert at multi-tasking while holding the line to finally get her calls answered.

While emailing some newfound information to Nohemi, Brianna gets a call from co-worker Karissa (working from a separate location within AlphaCare’s office to maintain social distance), who wants to confer about the needs of another client. Together, they brainstorm to find ways to meet the needs of this newly pregnant mom who has limited English skills and suddenly finds herself in need of a place to live. Twenty minutes later, it’s time for a Program Staff meeting.

Program Director Kim leads this virtual meeting, joined by R.N. Sue; both women are working from home today. The team members discuss incoming client cases, examining various alternatives regarding the best way to support each new mom. Research efforts are divided up among the team members. The agenda then leads them to make decisions regarding the focus for the next virtual Moms’ Group meeting and a relevant topic for the brief devotional included. Even virtually, sharing in conversation and doing an activity “together” promotes relationship-building between the moms and the staff members. Karissa adds “order supplies” to her to-do list. Sue will prepare the devotional.

Time races by, and the meeting comes to a close…but not before addressing the upcoming Trauma Healing group. Dates and times are scheduled and specific clients will now be contacted to share the information and confirm their virtual presence in the session. The subject matter covered by the Trauma Healing groups has expanded to include pandemic-related topics for the moms: isolation, loneliness, managing unsafe relationships while homebound…the list continues to grow in order to meet needs as they arise in these uncharted times.

The meeting ends and, after a quick lunch, Brianna begins preparations for her next 2 client appointments, while Karissa works on coordinating via telephone and email a large diaper donation from a local nonprofit organization. Our moms need a host of ongoing supplies, and diapers are near the top of the list! The volunteer drivers can handle picking up all of the diapers the following week, which is a blessing. Karissa breathes a sigh of relief, and then her cell phone rings: a much-needed, brand-new crib is available at another location – but only if it can be picked up that afternoon. Karissa decides to go herself rather than place an “emergency call” to the volunteer drivers who have been so faithful and reliable over the past months of the pandemic. She doesn’t want to inconvenience anyone on such short notice – nor does she want her client to lose that crib! After texting her client to make arrangements to meet at her apartment, Karissa heads out the door.

Ninety minutes later, Karissa is back at the office. She has retrieved the crib and delivered it to her client, Meranda. Unfortunately, Karissa had to wait outside of Meranda’s apartment building for 30 minutes because she missed the bus and was not home at the agreed-upon time to receive the crib. Fearful that it might be stolen if left outside her door, Karissa waited until Meranda arrived.

Karissa sheds her coat but not her mask and joins Brianna for the weekly bag-packing task for their clients – a tricky endeavor while trying to maintain 6 feet of distance between them. Each mom who has kept her appointment that week will either come to the office for her bag or have her supplies delivered to her door by our reliable volunteer drivers. These bags might include clothing, diapers, wipes, baby wash or many other items…each packed according to the need of the individual mom and her baby. The Social Workers then need to contact each mom to coordinate a pick-up or drop-off time for her that ensures she will be able to receive her precious supplies.

The Social Workers turn from packing the bags and move on to another key role: processing, sorting and housing the incoming gifts. This is a time-consuming job and requires careful organization. Donations are recorded and donors are thanked and receipted, while lists of currently needed items are constantly updated. During the process, Brianna and Karissa marvel at this truth of God’s provision: no sooner have supplies been sent out the door but our generous donors are restocking the storage shelves.

Each day passes quickly in a stream of varied activity. We so appreciate the many diverse needs our Social Workers handle, week after week, as they seek to empower our moms: fielding calls, answering emails and texts and giving individual attention to each woman as they seek to provide for their families. Brianna and Karissa are the bridges between your donations and the greatly-needed supplies and services our moms receive at no cost to them. Please pray for ongoing wisdom, strength and patience as our caring Social Workers act as representatives on behalf of Christ, daily sharing hope and help in countless ways.