Most communities realize that wide gaping holes in their “social safety nets” cause many individuals and families to “fall through the cracks.” These gaps make it extremely difficult for people to connect with information and resources that can help to transform their lives.
Fortunately, communities across the country are learning how to strengthen and broaden their safety nets through effective referral systems. Take a moment to check out the new and exciting community impact solutions — now developing and empowered by cross-sector community collaboration.
One of the most essential tools in the human services sector is a valid, reliable, and consistent tool that allows for a definitive assessment of the needs of clients. Without a proper assessment of clients, chances are very good that resources will be allocated inefficiently – perhaps through a first come, first served system or serving the squeakiest wheel first. OrgCode has developed the SPDAT (Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool). Now in its fourth year, the SPDAT is available in multiple versions and is even integrated with many HMIS programs including CharityTracker.
The Commodity Food Supplemental Program (CSFP) exists to improve the health of low-income elderly persons at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA Foods. The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank (JCSDFB) has a robust CSFP program, serving thousands of seniors monthly. One year ago, JCSDFB and Oasis Insight pioneered improved technology for CSFP customer intake and food distribution, certification and recertification. Learn about the development, implementation and initial outcomes and how it has greatly improved the process and experience for seniors, staff and volunteers. If you work with seniors and/or food distribution in any way, this webinar is for you!
This informative webinar from the USDA features multiple presenters, including Shelly Parks from San Diego Food Bank. Shelly and her team use Oasis Insight. At minute 39 of this webinar, Shelly talks about her work with Oasis Insight real time database for distribution and tracking. Webinar participants: Janell Walker, Carolyn Smalkowski, Mike McElhaney, and Shelly Parks.
For everyone seeking best practices for fighting hunger in our communities. Coming together, from across the country, are passionate and courageous caregivers who are on the “front lines” of fighting hunger in America. They came together to learn from each other, share best practices, and explore innovative approaches that make a difference in the lives of children, adults, and families.
Helping agencies, across a community, are learning how to work together more efficiently and effectively to transform the lives of individuals and families. New and exciting breakthroughs in networking and capacity-building technology are happening in over 2,500 cities in 49 states.
Charities, churches, schools, hospitals, food banks, funders, and more are learning how to align their unique strengths and collectively tackle tough community challenges with greater impact and success. Every community, across the country, now has a big opportunity to create an unprecedented model for comprehensive coordinated care that makes a real and lasting difference.
Since 2006, we have worked with many experts and practitioners, who are passionately engaged in combating poverty, hunger, homelessness, and more. Their knowledge and experience have proven to be a "best practice" for collective community impact. Each column is a clickable link to their websites.
Getting Ahead provides people in poverty with the same information found in Bridges Out of Poverty, which was developed for professionals and others in the community working to end poverty. Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By World is a book and a 45-hour workshop that helps individuals in poverty build their resources for a more prosperous life for themselves, their families, and their communities.
True charity stems from compassion and cannot be legislated. Government is an institution and cannot be charitable in truth. True charity is voluntarily sourced. If charity doesn’t empower the poor, it misses the mark.Empowerment is impossible without some aspect of challenge to help a personbecome self-sufficient. Real charity is “made actual” – it makes a realdifference. Some good or service is rendered to the poor, and outcomes aremeasured to ensure that efforts are actually making a difference in theindividual and community.
We believe our leaders and organizations must be equipped with the resources, tools, and talent necessary to tackle deeply rooted problems that exist in our communities. Too many times, those entrusted to make a difference are expected to do so with extremely limited resources and insufficient support. On a mission to change the odds. Spark Consulting Group works alongside courageous organizations that dare to combat social epidemics plaguing our community – providing expertise, technical support, and strategic leadership.
Tom Wolff and Associates bring forty years of experience in coalition building, community development, collaborative solutions and collective impact. We can advance and support your community and agency initiatives. We have the tools and resources necessary to mobilize the power of collaborative processes in your communities. Through collaborations and coalitions, individuals, organizations and communities become empowered to impact the world around them. Our work is dedicated to bringing greater joy and a deeper sense of spirit and purpose to those seeking to create healthy communities.
Since 2005, Significant Matters has worked with individuals, businesses, city government, non-profits and especially the faith-based community both domestically and internationally to explore and develop more sustainable waysof doing good. Though we still have a long way to go, we believe it’s possibleto accelerate the learning curve in this arena through an initiative we haveentitled SATtalks, which stands for Sustainability and Transformation Talks.
GoodCities specializes in coaching those who are facilitating the development of a city transformation movement. Our coaches understand the dynamics of leading citywide kingdom coalitions which seek to serve God and their city. Each coach understands the stages of transformation and the skills needed to move from one stage to the next. Our coaches are capable of teaching these skills or can bring in trainers who can. Coaching is a dynamic partnership between the coach and one being coached, helping that person/team move from where they are toward the person/team’s desired destinations. Those destinations are defined and shaped by the person/team being coached with the help of the coach to unlock the vision, build confidence, focus on goals, take practical steps and celebrate progress.
The following is a list of books, articles, and websites that you will find informative and encouraging. These resources will help individual organizations and communities to build capacity for collective community impact.
%20-%20TRANSPARENT2a.png)
