Care & Counseling Generosity Story
- It's been a year since the stay at home order was issued and we've been impacted by COVID in incredible unprecedented ways and Care Ministry is meeting the needs of the community more than ever before. When COVID hit, we had internal systems in place that allowed us to immediately transition to tele-health and providing sessions in person or online so that we could continue to meet with people and make sure that they had what they needed during the season of an increase in anxiety and depression and feelings of isolation. Our care groups are meeting in hybrid ways, so meeting in person or online, and that allows anyone from anywhere to be able to connect into a group so that their needs can be met in community and connecting with others.
- You talked about an increase in the rate of depression, anxiety, et cetera. And we've seen that reported by CDC and others. It's typically between 20 and 30% greater than it was last year.
- We've been able to continue connecting and networking with counseling professionals, in the Kansas City area and supporting them during this time too, when they're working hard to meet the needs of others.
- When we see that isolation and loneliness impacting all the populations we work with. That's a common thread that we've experienced since this has started.
- And being able to provide care for kiddos, couples, families, individuals, who are just struggling.
- The impact on adolescents alone just not having the stability of knowing schools what do I do, and it's five days a week, and now it's just who knows what happens and what we're doing today, and what does this look like and I miss my friends, and so there's such a huge impact on adolescents and it's amazing that we've been able to continue providing care, through a platform that they're very comfortable with. So that's really cool.
- Well, it's put a strain, a lot of strain on families with like you're saying, kids are now home and mom and dad are trying to figure out when do they go to school or how do I help teach and try to work from home or go into the office once in a while, all of the variables changed for everybody. It's become very complicated and very stressful.
- And there were sites that completely stopped providing counseling during this time because the resources weren't there to support the counselors.
- And something I love about this ministry is that it is a ministry. We're able to help people that maybe couldn't afford counseling and we're able to do it from a biblical perspective. And so it's such a unique opportunity to help people within this church and within this community.
- And because we are a ministry and we are a team, we've been able to really support each other through this time too and then have a positive impact on the people that we work with.
- Absolutely.
- Our care groups are continuing to support our community, thanks to your generosity.
- Because of your generosity, I've been able to continue to train counseling interns, and that investment will grow exponentially as they graduate, and then expand Westside's reach of care to surrounding communities
- Because of your generosity. I've been able to continue to see families and couples who are dealing with crisis during this time.
- Because of your support have been able to continue meeting with my clients via telehealth, and haven't had to miss a beat.
- Because of your generosity, we are able in the Care Ministry to continue to wrap God's family around the families in this community.
- [All] Thank you Westside for your generosity.