Leslie Sparks joined the Community Resource Network (CRN) team recently and we sat down to talk about what she is doing in the Delta area to connect people to CRN.
Building the collaborative infrastructure for CRN seems challenging. What will you consider a “win” at the end of the day?
At the end of the day a win for me is for community partners to see the value of CRN and how it can help the folks they are serving.
Why do you believe CRN will make a positive impact in the Delta area?
Having worked in the area of social services in Delta County, I have been able to see firsthand the challenges associated with the collaboration of services. Delta County is especially challenging for individuals due to the large geographic area with no public transportation. This makes it extremely difficult for people to access services as well as very time consuming. I think that with implementation and use, that CRN can help to alleviate some of these factors and streamline resources and referrals, eliminate duplication of services, and provide easy collaboration of services for the person or family needing help.
What excites you about the work?
When I think about how much this can help the people of Delta County, especially those who are most at risk, I get very hopeful and excited about the difference this platform can make in their lives.
What did you do prior to CRN?
For the past almost 6 years I worked at Hilltop most recently as the Director of domestic violence and sexual assault services.
Anything else you’d like to add about the work you are doing for CRN?
I just can’t express enough the value I see in this service. Real people will benefit so greatly from this and it’s exciting to be a part of it!
