Recently, EAC Network’s Vice President of Operations/Acting President & CEO Tania Peterson Chandler sat down with veteran Long Island radio personality DJ Fingers to discuss what the social services agency provides and how the average person can support its mission. Listen to this recent episode of the Plugged In To Long Island podcast to find out about the challenges EAC Network faces and how to get involved with helping vulnerable individuals in our community.
The Challenges of a Social Services Agency During COVID-19
For EAC Network, everything changed this spring when the coronavirus outbreak began. New York’s COVID-19 safety guidelines limited the types of in-person interactions that are the hallmark of EAC Network’s programs and services.
“We are a social services agency that was now told we can’t be social,” Tania Peterson Chandler remarked to DJ Fingers. “That had a huge impact on us.”
In response, EAC Network made a big shift in how it provided services to some of New York’s most vulnerable individuals. Instead of in-person visits, many vital services for children, families, and seniors had to be provided remotely by video or telephone.
EAC Network’s Vice President of Operations/Acting President & CEO told DJ Fingers that its quick shift to online services and programs enabled the agency’s professional staff and volunteers to provide comfort to community members at a challenging time.
Tania Peterson Chandler Outlines EAC Network’s Most Urgent Needs
A dramatic increase in demand for services throughout the pandemic did not come without a cost. Tania Peterson Chandler said on WBLI and WBAB’s podcast that many of the response services provided exceeded the agency’s budget.
For example, the demand from isolated seniors EAC Network’s Meals on Wheels program increased considerably in the wake of COVID-19. The pandemic also created new expenses, like the need for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for staff members, which had not been a part of the agency’s budget.
Despite the added strain on the agency’s finances, Tania Peterson Chandler told DJ Fingers that EAC Network has and will continue to do whatever needs to be done to help those who depend on its programs and services.
Help EAC Network Extend Vital Assistance to Vulnerable New Yorkers
To help address the demand for its programs and services, Tania Peterson Chandler recently launched EAC Network’s COVID-19 RESPONSE FUND. She spoke on the Plugged In To Long Island podcast about how charitable donations can help EAC Network continue with its transition to providing programs and services in the safest, most effective manner possible.
If you would like to help EAC Network continue to serve the more than 82,000 vulnerable New Yorkers who depend on its programs and services, consider making a donation today.
