When the physical doors closed at Neighborhood Ministries campus earlier this year, Neighbors at Work started opening virtual ones.
We were proactive, reaching out to participants and introducing them to the online platforms that would be used as the new classrooms and meeting spaces for the English class, women’s support group, online employment and financial literacy workshops, one-on-one’s with case managers, and our first virtual community townhalls.
COVID-19 pushed Neighbors at Work to be more creative, adaptable, and be more responsive to the community needs. In addition to the typical employment services offered, Neighbors at Work partnered with CorazonAZ and helped 40 families, who did not receive federal or state relief funding, apply for one-time assistance of $500.
Women’s support group and other areas of ministry continue virtually during the COVID-19 crisis.
We assisted 85 more struggling families with online applications for the National Immigrant Families Fund and we partnered with a local mental health service provider to host the first virtual town hall, giving participants the opportunity to get answers about substance abuse, depression, anxiety, crisis intervention and more.
Of course, none of this is possible without the support of friends like you. Together, we’ll continue providing hope, healing and a path forward during these uncertain times!
A special “thank you” goes out to Alexandra Chavez and Monica Canez, two stellar ASU Social Work interns who completed their bachelor’s degree this past spring.
Both decided to continue serving long after the hours required by their internship were satisfied, and the additional services provided during the online transition were a direct result of their commitment and heart for the people they served.