Every February, we have the honor of co-hosting an event with The Columbus Foundation and the City of Columbus to celebrate, thank, and bring together direct service staff from numerous health and human services agencies.

This annual convening–always held on or near Groundhog Day–seeks to bring direct service staff together to share stories and support with one another over breakfast at The Columbus Foundation.

This year, we had a record turnout of nearly 100 people, and we were all enriched by a panel discussion about the growing role of technology in communication for direct service staffers. This expert panel featured Kevin Tyler, Insights Director at Ologie; Lauren Parker, President and CEO of FrazierHeiby; Danielle Smith, Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers (Ohio), and Brian Shea, CIO of the Revolution Group.

From a robust conversation around the opportunities and pratfalls surrounding social media, to the fast-evolving expectations of clients and patients regarding the ways in which they can connect with direct service staffers, and to the communications software and hardware that can make it easier and more efficient for people to communicate within and across agencies, we had a truly fantastic morning of learning and conversation.
Importantly, we also welcomed several funders from across philanthropic or corporate organizations to this annual event, so that they could hear directly from frontline workers about the issues of the day.

Our deepest thanks are extended to Danielle Tong and Emily Savors of The Columbus Foundation and to Kim Stands from the City of Columbus for their leadership and partnership, to each of our guest speakers, and to all of those that attended despite their busy days–we’re so grateful for the work each of you do, and the opportunity to come together once again.