Stronger Together

Stronger Together

“I knew about poverty in our community, but I was surprised by the extent of mental health needs – taking care of themselves and their families, affecting their work performance, and more – across the community.”

Maureen Schlobohm worked in nonprofit agencies in Steele County for more than 20 years. Now retired from Community Pathways, she continues to stay involved to support the local community. These days Maureen serves on the board of Oak Hill Community Connections, a social agency co-location project that will streamline support services across several partnering agencies.

It takes a lot to ask for help – even in the best circumstances, and especially amid a disorienting crisis. For many agency providers, when someone finally approaches them for help they know time is critical. Delays add stress. Maureen has experienced that difficulty firsthand, “When you have a person in front of you that needs help and you can’t make the connection right then and there, it’s frustrating.”

There has to be a better way. Streamlining access to services and reducing the obstacles of connecting people with the support they need are steps in the right direction.

Maureen is excited about this collaborative vision of Oak Hill Community Connections. “Reducing these burdens would convey that we’re doing something right. It would say a lot about our caring community. We’re taking care of our own. There are always going to be issues. But if we chose to ignore the problems that exist, they will continue to grow. They won’t go away. We’re always stronger together.”