Work & Earnings

Family Assets

Successful Kids

Resident Leadership


About Us 

The Initiative

Making Connections Partnership (MCP) began its work as a place-based initiative in 2001 with a series of neighborhood family summits in five sections spanning San Antonio’s West Side. During the family summits, more than 850 West Side residents identified 11 different outcomes to improve the lives of children.

Our work is guided by these outcomes and by the notion that children do better when their families do better, and families do better when communities are supportive.

MCP believes that the key to successful children and families is found in the relationships that connect people to one another. Social networks are central to our work. Through positive social networks and leadership, families can find jobs, build assets, access effective and efficient services and raise children who are healthy and successful in school.

The outcomes identified in the neighborhood family summits dictated the development of four major strategies:

The Place

It is an area of great historical and cultural significance. As many as 95% of the residents are Hispanic (most of Mexican origin) and 19% were born in Mexico. Most are family households with children. Six out of ten of them are homeowners and their mobility rate is slightly lower than the county average. The most distinguishing characteristic regarding the statistics of West Side families is that family breadwinners are usually working in low-paying jobs with salaries at less than half the city’s average per capita income.


Making Connections Partnership

Local Management Entity - Governance for Making Connections Partnership

 

Department of Human Services-Division of Family Assistance

Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of San Antonio, Inc. - Fiscal Agent

Family Service Association - Children and Family Lead

Edgewood Independent School District - Targeted Population

Local Resident:

Sylvia Zamarripa
sz78207@gmail.com


 

 

Team

Diana Guajardo
Interim Coordinating Manager/

LME Accountant
dguajardo@ccaosa.org
(210) 242-3176

Ron Morales
CHAPSS Coordinator
rmorales@family-service.org
(210) 431-7500

Julissa Mendoza
Community Service Specialist-IDA
julissa.mendoza@sanantonio.gov
(210) 431-7505

Marisol Rodriguez
Resident Coordinator
marisol.rodriguez@mc-sa.org
(210)
431-7528

Stephanie Martinez
Data and Evaluation Coordinator
Stephanie.Martinez@mc-sa.org
(210) 431-7518

Roger Gonzalez
Work and Earnings Coordinator
Roger.gonzalez2@sanantonio.gov
(210) 207-4365

Carmen Sanchez
Office Administrative Assistant
carmen.sanchez@mc-sa.org
(210) 431-7514

         Mary Lou Mendoza
Lead Community Researcher
marylou.mendoza@mc-sa.org
(210) 431-7567


Jessica Gonzales
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
jgonzales@family-service.org
(210) 431-7516

Norma Lira
Resource Navigator
Norma.Lira@mc-sa.org
(210) 431-7566

Tamara Casso
Senior Evaluator Edgewood ISD

Data and Evaluation Coordinator

Community Research Team Coordinator

casso.tamara@eisd.net
Office: (210) 431-7517
 Liz Martinez
CHAPSS Strategy Specialist

Edgewood ISD

elizabeth.martinez@eisd.net
Office: (210) 444-8125

 

Photographs Provided in Courtesy by

Tamara Casso
Mary Ann Dolcemascolo
www.dolcemascolophotos.com

Susie Fitzhugh Photography
www.susiefitzhugh.com

Photography by Rudolfo Flores

Carol M. Highsmith Photography
www.carolhighsmithamerica.com

Sonia Jimenez

J. Michael Short Photography
www.jmichael-photo.com

Linda Wilson