Out of their siloes, nonprofits focus on building collaborations
Local nonprofits and social service agencies have long understood that they can better meet the comprehensive needs of our community by working together.
"We are lucky that we have such a resource-rich community. But there is so much work to be done and we all can't be experts in everything," said Carol Gall, executive director of Sarah's Inn, a local organization addressing domestic violence. "Collaboration is a key component for ensuring that our clients are getting all their needs met and are able to sustain themselves in a life free of violence."
Founded in 1980 by a group of residents concerned about a lack of resources for victims of domestic violence, Sarah's Inn last year served almost 30,000 adults, children and teens. The organization provides intervention programs focusing on changing the behavior of perpetrators, prevention programs for students in local schools, and training and education for professionals. Sarah's Inn is headquartered in Forest Park.
The Covid pandemic was particularly challenging, as people living in abusive environments were isolated from social networks and under considerable stress. The number of people requesting support skyrocketed and, according to Gall, the need for their services hasn't decreased in the pandemic's aftermath as people are now struggling from a lack of affordable housing, food insecurity and the rising cost of living.
Sarah's Inn is very intentional about its collaborations because the confidentiality of its clients is mandatory.
"Our confidentiality requirements have to be understood by our partners, not just at the leadership level but throughout their staff as well," Gall said.
The organization relies on the Oak Park-based Thrive Counseling Center to address the long-term mental health needs of its most traumatized clients. It also taps the free legal expertise provided by attorneys with Pro Bono Network.
"Pro Bono has attorneys who are committed to understanding how the legal system impacts victims, including child custody, divorce, and orders of protection. They do amazing work," Gall said.
Sarah's Inn most intensive current partner is Housing Forward, an organization dedicated to ending homelessness in the west suburbs. Earlier this year, the nonprofits launched Safe Bridge, a program providing housing for individuals and families fleeing domestic violence.
Since its inception in 1992, Housing Forward has grown to be a multi-pronged agency providing wrap-around services, including emergency overnight shelter, interim and permanent supportive housing, emergency financial assistance and street outreach.
Last year, the organization served more than 2,000 individuals and families.
"It's not just, 'here are your keys—good luck!' We stay with our clients and tailor our services to their individual needs, or we connect them with a cross-sector ecosystem of community partners. One organization alone can't take on the mammoth responsibility of addressing systemic barriers for vulnerable populations, with layers of poverty, racism and inequality. We're all better as a whole than siloed," said Lynda Schueler, Housing Forward's chief executive officer.
Housing Forward partners with MacNeal Hospital on Sojourner House, a facility providing medical respite for individuals needing support after leaving the hospital. It also partners with Cook County Health on the RISE (Recuperation in a Supportive Environment) Center, a program for homeless individuals needing support after an- inpatient stay in a mental health facility. The center is located inside Write Inn, previously an Oak Park hotel that the organization bought last year and rehabbed for clients needing interim housing.
Housing Forward is based in Maywood and has many other community partners including Riveredge Hospital in Forest Park, the local chapter of NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) and the Oak Park Homelessness Coalition.
"Our partnerships help strengthen our community's safety net. We're always scanning the environment to see who is philosophically aligned with our work. The mutual client has to be at the center of the work," said Schueler.
Beyond Hunger, an Oak Park-based nonprofit tackling food insecurity, partners with both Housing Forward and Sarah's Inn as well as other local nonprofits. In addition, it teams up with for-profit entities, including grocery stores and restaurants, to collect food products that otherwise would be thrown away.
What started in 1979 as a holiday food basket program organized by a local Girl Scout troop is now an organization providing a community pantry, home deliveries, cooking classes, and health education programs for more than 65,000 people in the west suburbs and the city's West Side.
Beyond Hunger operates a community food pantry in the basement of First United Church of Oak Park. During the pandemic, the organization had to switch gears and distributed packaged boxes of food on a drive-through basis in the church's parking lot off of Lake Street.
"We found that our clients really enjoyed the convenience, efficiency and anonymity of the drive-through, so we have continued it," said Michele Zurakowski, chief executive officer of Beyond Hunger.
The organization has a robust food delivery program and operates an innovative summer meals program for students in Districts 200 and 97. To avoid any stigma, food is provided to all students, and the schools are reimbursed by the federal government for those students eligible for the free lunch program.
Through Rush Oak Park Hospital medical staff, Beyond Hunger clients receive blood pressure and cardiac screenings and access to free medical care at the hospital if needed. Volunteers with its Surplus Project collect surplus food repackaged by Rush cafeteria staff into individual microwavable containers that are refrigerated until being delivered to sites throughout the community.
"We are increasingly focused on reaching people where they are rather than making them come to our home site at First United, which is really constrained for space," said Zurakowski.
To that end, the organization partners with Austin-based nonprofits A House in Austin and What About Us through its Health Ambassadors project. Beyond Hunger provides nutrition training to the nonprofits' own constituents who then share what they've learned with other constituents on-site.
Partnerships, which appear to be a win/win for all involved—for the organizations, their clients and even their donors—allow our local nonprofits to remain focused on their core constituencies while connecting their constituents with a wider range of essential services than they can offer alone.
