As a student in the MSW program, Carrie Finkelstein worked at the Office of Community and Governmental Relations as a student worker in multiple capacities. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, she began to coordinate volunteers for the Pitt Care and Connection Callers, the program that Social Work Associate Professor Mary Ohmer is leading as part of the Pitt Pandemic Service Initiative. She worked with Dr. Ohmer to create an online training for volunteers so they would be equipped to make calls in an effective manner. Carrie works with partner organizations to match callers and create individualized plans to reach out to their residents, including scripts for Care and Connection Callers supporting their efforts. She also coordinates weekly meetings of the Care and Connection Callers with Pitt Social Work partners.
In addition, Carrie supports the work of the Neighborhood Resilience Project (NRP), one of Pitt's key partners, by coordinating translation of materials, task force meetings between NRP and Pitt partners in Social Work and Public Health and Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center, and helps them to secure speakers for their weekly meetings. She has also supported Hill stakeholders with various needs, such as reaching out to community members to connect them with resources outside of the Care and Connection Caller Program.
Two MSW students also work with Carrie to develop a Daily Briefing, requested by NRP, to give up-to-date accurate information about resources and how to protect yourself and your community from COVID-19. They update this as information changes, at least 3 times a week. They have also developed individualized briefings for Homewood, the Hill District, and the Mon Valley, so communities have local information about resources. In addition, interns have made calls to residents to check in, and helped organize volunteers and assign them to organizations.