Helping a Family at a Time During the Pandemic: Success Stories from BCFS Health and Human Services

The pandemic transformed many aspects of American life. It caused untold human and economic hardship, moved learning online, and change how millions of people work and communicate. Navigating these monumental changes is a considerable challenge for a family, especially one facing job losses and mounting tensions at home. For residents of Corpus Christi that needed help during this time, they often turned to the support of BCFS Health and Human Services. This is a global nonprofit organization offering an array of services to help people academically, emotionally, and financially.

The organization’s local office is led by Director Robin Soto. She and her team oversee the various family management, planning, and educational services offered through the office. They work creatively to handle problems with a personalized touch, instead of a “one size fits all” approach that would not adequately meet peoples’ needs. The office’s core functions are to provide Corpus Christ residents with career planning guidance, access to mental health services, and other services designed to improve daily lives. During the pandemic Director Soto’s team had to “virtualize” the delivery of various services and content to meet social distancing requirements.

The organization’s efforts resulted in multiple success stories from people that needed a little help. It worked with a young woman named Lena*. She is a hardworking mom of one child who was expecting another. She unfortunately lost her job at the local school district during the pandemic and needed help finding a high-quality new job. She turned to BCFS Health and Human Services for job search guidance and accepted the organization’s offer of a month’s rent payment to help her with the employment transition period. The office also connected her with a local partner that provided various baby items including a new crib.

The organization also helped a different mother during the pandemic. This mom of four needed guidance for managing her kids’ behavioral issues. She took some offered parenting classes that are designed to give parents strategies to understand children’s motivations and needs. She used these courses to successfully decrease the tension in her house and help her kids manage their issues better.