Collaborative Impact on Students

Our program has an undeniable impact on the lives of those it serves. Although other human service agencies serve this community, CLC is unique and does not duplicate services. In addition, CLC's consumers come mainly from the neighborhood; some of the other agencies draw from a wider geographic area and, therefore, are not as community oriented. CLC maintains linkages with other service providers in the area, and we mutually refer clients to each other's programs. Further, the need for literacy education in the community far outpaces the availability of services. In addition, CLC makes client referrals to community resources as needed, and we continue to build and establish relationships with other community-based organizations, such as the Department of Public Welfare, the Mayor's Commission on Literacy, Child Abuse Prevention Effort, Association of Puerto Ricans on the March, local library branches, Community College of Philadelphia, among others. This coordination allows for on-site workshops, field trips, staff development, as well as provisions for academic, career, and personal advising for our students.
After participating at CLC, many of our students have reached economic independence by securing full-time employment, by improving their employment status, or by extending their skills and education through attendance at the local community college or in advanced training programs. These successes have enabled many of our students to leave the welfare rolls. And many of our students have improved their academic skills so that they can now participate and have a voice at their children's schools and help their youngsters with homework. Indeed, CLC helps to strengthen the community and the loss or diminution of our program would be a loss for those we serve.