A DCHS CONNECT HIGHLIGHT
May 11, 2023: The Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) and the Alexandria Health Department (AHD), along with Neighborhood Health and several other City offices, have moved to the new Redella S. “Del“ Pepper Community Center at 4850 Mark Center Drive.
To share this exciting news with local community members, the departments planned a two-day Community Outreach Blitz, which took place on March 20 and 21, 2023. Outreach employees canvased and tabled at locations including Beauregard Shopping Center, Burke Library, William Ramsey Recreation Center, Seminary Plaza Shops, the Mark Center Transit Center and nearby apartment communities including Southern Towers.
The two-day Blitz helped to establish important connections with the community. One employee helped a community member find smoking cessation resources. Another employee helped a resident understand how to navigate cost-free DASH buses as staff members happily informed the community of the new shared location. Staff passed out and posted “Hi Neighbor” postcards with service information printed in English, Spanish, Arabic, and Amharic as well as posted flyers and distributed materials about services.
“Looking at how full our lobby can get from day to day, the Community Outreach Blitz was certainly a success!” says Brandon Hare, Acting SNAP Coordinator and a key DCHS participant in the event. “With the clients we serve in mind, relocating was a great move to make all our services easily accessible. From clients and community members I’ve spoken with, the move is very well-received and a lot closer for many of our clients.”
It helps that parking in the new Community Center is currently plentiful and free.
“This Community Outreach Blitz was just the start! We are continuing to inform Alexandrians of our new home and look forward to welcoming residents here moving forward,” says Eve Elliott, AHD Public Information Officer.
To learn more about DCHS and AHD services, please visit alexandriava.gov/DCHS and alexandriava.gov.
