Check out this month’s HUB Spotlight with Helen Robinson, CHW Supervisor at Community Action Partnership of Cambria County.

Tell us about yourself.
I am a Navy Veteran who used her GI Bill to go to college. I eventually graduated with a Masters in Business Administration. I am married to a fellow veteran and I have a 31 year old son who owns his own business in Las Vegas. My hobbies are quilting, stamping, scrapbooking (basically a craft junkie) and reading.

Can you share a little bit about your job and what you do every day?
I am the Community Services Director for Community Action Partnership of Cambria County. I am a supervisor for the Community Health Workers at our agency and run the Medical Assistance Transportation Program, Homeless and Utility assistance programs, Veteran Services, Emergency Services and a Client Employment Assistance Programs. I love my job and the help we bring to the community.

Why is the Johnstown community important to you?
I have been living in the Johnstown community for the last 28 years. This is where I raised my family. The people in town are a diverse and interesting bunch of people who face the challenges of everyday life with perseverance and the desire to raise their families in a safe environment.

We were all affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and there were many hardships for all of us. How did you overcome some of the hardships brought on by the pandemic and what is one positive outcome of such a difficult year?
The hardships I experienced were the same as we all did. One of challenges my department faced was implementing a successful work from home policy that allowed us the freedom to permit half of our staff to work from home for long periods of time. It is one of those times where we took a weakness and turned it into strength.

What is important for our community to understand about the individuals you and CHWs work with every day?
The clients we help are regular people just like us. They are worried about their kids and providing them with a safe place to grow up. They are worried about food, bills, jobs and transportation. They are just like most people living from paycheck to paycheck. The only difference is they may need some assistance in achieving those goals and that’s where we come in.