MCH Family Outreach in Corpus supports local families at Back to School events

With the close of summer and a new school year beginning, MCH Family Outreach in Corpus Christi made sure to be available to help families during this transition. In the month of August, the MCH Family Outreach team attended five major events in the greater Corpus Christi area to support back-to-school efforts.

“We use the events not only to connect directly with clients, but with other vendors in attendance to learn more about what they do,” explained Marisol Gomez, director of MCH Family Outreach in Corpus Christi. “Our staff uses this time to share how we can work together with the families we serve. We were able to get referrals from these events and speak with clients directly about the services we provide.”

Attending community events throughout the year – not just during the back-to-school rush – is one of the many ways the MCH Family Outreach is able to stay involved in the Corpus Christi community. This year the Corpus Christi staff participated in more back-to-school events than in the past. As a result, they were able to make more connections with families as well as referral sources.

“This is the first year we were able to participate in the LEAD First backpack stuffing event where almost 2,000 backpacks were filled with school supplies, snacks and food coupons for children and families in need,” Gomez said. “The staff felt this was a fulfilling experience to be able to participate in this event that would in turn assist many children in need in the community. This was a great team-building exercise for staff although it had not been planned out as that initially.”

In addition to helping stuff backpacks with the LEAD First Foundation, MCH Family Outreach attended back-to-school fairs at Flour Bluff, First United Methodist Church of Portland, Keach Family Library, and the Corpus Christi Police Department (CCPD). Partnering with organizations in the Corpus Christi community provides many mutually beneficial relationships between MCH Family Outreach and other local agencies, Gomez noted.

“At the CCPD Operation Safe Return Fair we were able to connect with several grandparents who are raising grandchildren and inform them not only about our services but of upcoming events for grandparents,” Gomez said.

In July, nine families in Corpus Christi were participating in the Grandparents As Parents Program (GAPP) and by the end of August, that number had almost doubled. GAPP supports grandparents and other relatives who serve as the primary caregivers for their grandchildren. Through MCH Family Outreach, grandparents can receive assistance through monthly case management, access to community resources, support groups and workshops.

To learn more about all the services MCH Family Outreach provides, as well as to find the office nearest to you, click here.