Expanding to Build Social Capital

In our growing need to connect human service nonprofits, The Glasser/Schoenbaum Human Services Center is hiring a Campus Engagement Coordinator. The new position will work to enhance and animate the culture of the organization’s “Campus of Caring”, as nonprofits increasingly rely on each other to successfully deliver their services.

Glasser/Schoenbaum’s Campus Connection programming has grown in recent years, finding ways to connect the 18 nonprofits located at the Center’s five-acre campus. The dedicated coordinator, supported by Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, is the next step in pursuing the program’s goal to strengthen the human services network.

“It’s difficult to prioritize building social capital between agencies when a community is in crisis,” said Dr. Kameron Hodgens, Executive Director & CEO at Glasser/Schoenbaum. “But if we give ourselves the opportunity to connect with each other in a less formal way, we can quickly build the bonds that make this network strong.”

One of the primary factors impacting human service agencies’ ability to provide services for their clients is having “strong relationships with other organizations”, according to network studies conducted in 2017 and 2020. However, as our region approaches two years since COVID-19 emerged, there is an increased need for human services with a decreased ability to make connections in person.

Hodgens acknowledges that there is work to do. “But our community is ready,” she said. “Our tenant partners, and the human services network beyond, want more connections and more knowledge about each other. We are ready to meet that need.”