Christian Community Action’s ARISE Center Helps Local Women Achieve Independence
Program bolsters services with support from the Community Fund for Women & Girls.
For Charmain Yun, executive director of Christian Community Action (CCA), one of New Haven’s foremost social service agencies, independence is always the goal for clients. But there is no one-resource-fits-all approach to reaching this goal. It usually involves a range of coordinated services and supports over time.
“There’s something in our field called ‘housing first,’” Yun explains. “It’s this idea that we’re not going to expect someone to be at a certain place before we think about housing. But you and I know it’s not housing only; there can be a myriad of barriers to moving forward.”
That is where the ARISE Center comes in. Its mission and function are in the name: Accessing Resources for Independence, Skill Building and Employment.
Ten years ago, CCA launched the ARISE Center to offer longer-term solutions for clients and their family members. This could mean job readiness coaching and job search assistance, childcare and mental health referrals, or personal advocacy workshops.
When new clients and families come to the ARISE Center, they each receive a strength-based, person-centered assessment to identify the resources that will best fit their needs.
Carolyn DeSchiffart, a child and family specialist at the ARISE Center, says that based on the assessment, she might help arrange school transportation or childcare for clients. The employment specialist might help a client update a resume or arrange job training. The resources are tailored to the unique goals, needs and desires of the family.
“Something as simple as making sure the school bus is coming on time can make a world of difference to a family,” DeSchiffart says.
ICYMI: Read our interview with Reverend Bonita Grubbs, former executive director of CCA and a fierce advocate for dignity, justice and compassion.
Rosa D., a mother of four from the Dominican Republic, came to the ARISE Center in November and is now running her own cleaning business. CCA offered guidance on building a business plan and filling out various applications with the state. Rosa also received referrals for childcare and transportation to and from school, and she was able to arrange trainings and a job certification course for her older son.
“This country needs more programs like this,” Rosa says.
Janaysia W. came to the ARISE Center in April with several goals, including finding her own place before her son’s second birthday in May and brushing up on her financial literacy.
“I’ve always been a kid that was in finance class. Even in high school, I took a personal finance class. In college, I did something related to business. But that was before I had a kid. So, when I came here and they were teaching me, it was a little bit different because now I have someone that’s depending on me.”
With guidance from the ARISE Center, Janaysia met her goal of living in her own apartment by May.
“I’ve definitely been doing better at saving and working on my credit too,” she says.
A grant from the Community Fund for Women & Girls Pathways to Economic Security Program will help bolster the menu of integrated services at the ARISE Center and promote family engagement, ensuring that families with female heads of household are working towards stability and self-sufficiency.
“ARISE is an acronym, yes, but it’s also from scripture. It gets at this idea of lifting up and meeting families where they’re at and helping them take that next step” says Yun. “It’s been my own story too. I came from an immigrant family. My dad says he came with $20 in his pocket, and he moved us all to independence. There are still specific people I have in mind who opened doors for us, who kind of helped us walk through. That’s what we want to be here at the ARISE Center.”
For Yun, interdependence begets independence. She says, “We all need a village. CCA wants to be that support system to help, especially women, reach that place of independence.”
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To celebrate 30 years of the Community Fund for Women & Girls, we will be shining a spotlight on the changemakers who have made the Fund what it is today. Read their stories, vote for your favorite, and help two organizations secure a $2,000 grant later this year! Plus, sign up for our newsletter and attend one of the many upcoming events centered around The Fund’s 30-year milestone, culminating on November 13, 2025 with a celebration at the Omni Hotel in New Haven.
