Dust off the sequins, throw on the platforms and prepare for a funky night out. Connections of Cumberland County is celebrating a decade of impact in the community with Dance Your HeArt Out Disco and Silent Auction: A night of Dining, Disco, and Gratitude on Thursday, April 10 at Studio 215 (215 Williams Street). Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6 p.m. Guests will enjoy a fantastic dinner, bid on local art in the silent auction, and boogie down the dance floor for a Boogie Battle dance battle. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased online at https://www.connectionsofcc.org/upcoming-events/. All proceeds will go directly to helping single women with and without children who are at risk of experiencing homelessness in Cumberland County.
Homelessness is trending upward, not just nationally, but locally, according to the latest point-in-time count conducted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development at the beginning of the year.
Cumberland County and the City of Fayetteville have some resources for individuals who are currently homeless, like the newly built Fayetteville Day Resource Center and partnerships with local organizations like Cornerstone Christian Empowerment Center to open white flag shelters and provide access to food and personal hygiene products on various sides of town. Connections of Cumberland County is an organization whose mission is to prevent as many at-risk women and children as possible from experiencing homelessness with proactive programming that supports financial literacy, education and connects them to social services they qualify for. For a decade, the organization has been making a difference in the lives of the women who walk through the door of the day resource center, fulfilling their mission, Connections of Cumberland County collaborates with community resources to empower women experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness to develop self-sufficiency and enhance their children’s future.
Connections of Cumberland County offers a variety of non-emergency programs, including a Day Resource Center located at 119 N. Cool Spring Street. At the DRC, women have access to:
Case Management: Clients receive help determining what social services they qualify for and obtaining the proper paperwork to submit their applications.
Empowerment Groups: Clients have access to support groups that support them mentally and emotionally.
Computer Lab: Technology is a known barrier for those facing homelessness. The computer lab provides clients with access to fill out applications for housing, social services, and employment.
Connect to Fellowship: A program run in collaboration with local faith-based organizations that offers clients an afternoon of fellowship with one another, with snacks, games, and child literacy activities.
Mail Station: For clients who do not have an address, CCC offers a mail station for clients to receive mail. This is important when applying for some services and employment.
Hygiene Closet: Clients can come in and pick up necessary hygiene products twice a month.
Birthday & Award Closet: Active case management clients can visit the birthday/award closet to pick up a gift for a child 12 years old or younger. Once the client has reached a level of stability, they buy a new gift to place in the closet.
Children’s Room: Eliminating another barrier for clients, CCC offers a room just for the children of clients. This space provides the children with a kid-friendly space with plenty of activities.
Budgeting Workshops: Clients receiving financial help from CCC must commit to completing budgeting workshops, ensuring financial behaviors are conducive to future success.
Connections of Cumberland County is dedicated to identifying the cause of homelessness, removing barriers to resources, and guiding clients throughout the process.
Executive Director Crystal DePietro started as an intern with the organization in January 2015 as a member of the inaugural Connect 2 Internship program. This program allows college students studying social work to receive clinical hours while serving as case managers for CCC. She became the Executive Director in July 2020.
DePietro graduated from UNC Pembroke with a master’s in social work and instantly went to what she thought was her dream job, only to be gently redirected to Connections of Cumberland County. She’s been a staple in the organization ever since and helped create most of the programs at CCC.
“When I finished up my internship, they hired me as a case manager, but the main focus was for me to build out one of our first initiatives, our Connect 2 Redirect program. That was one of the first programs I got the opportunity to put roots to and really make it what it is today. I just continued to grow programs and after two years of being there, I was able to take on what we call the Connect 2 Internship program. We had interns coming through, but with that program, I really got the opportunity to work on making it truly meaningful for our interns,” she said. “I got the opportunity to really advance it to where it is today and we partner with 36 universities nationwide. We’ve had over 130 students come through the program, BSW, MSW, and other public service degrees. Over 40,000 hours have been donated to our agency from students.”
The work that Connections of Cumberland County does is vital to those who want change and better for themselves and their family. Contrary to popular belief, those who are at risk for homelessness or those who already experience it, are not lazy or trying to manipulate the system.
That’s why the programs offered at CCC require the clients to meet the agency halfway and be proactive by searching for employment and housing, finishing their education, and attending the required budgeting classes. DePietro, her staff, and volunteers are dedicated to helping, but they also realize it is a personal choice for clients to see these programs through.
“It’s not manipulation, it’s survival. Oftentimes, we’re like ‘oh, they’re just trying to manipulate the system.’ No, it’s a learned skill, it’s a survival skill and they’re just trying to survive and provide. And so rather than put them down for that, we show them a different way, give them an opportunity to see something different. I think that we just get caught up in [the thinking that] you need to do this a certain way. Why do I need to do it this way?” she said. “There’s structure for a reason. We thrive on structure. Everybody thrives on structure, but if I’ve never had structure or if I’ve never been given the opportunity… I have a service operation manager (Monique Bryant), she’ll tell a client very quickly, [after they say they can’t do this or that] You don’t have to do anything. It is completely up to you. This is our policy. A lot of times they’ll hear this and say, ‘You’re right, I can choose to work this program or I can choose not to.’ We’re not going to make them do anything.”
DePietro loves her job and the direct impact it allows her to see, saying, “I get the opportunity, because I was there early on, to really see people’s lives change. And I teach my interns and my staff, [that] you may never see the fruit of your labor ... what you do every time a client walks in here is, you plant a seed because they may have never heard it that way, or they may have never seen that they can do something different, or they may never had someone believe in them to do something different. You get the opportunity to be the change.”
Connections of Cumberland County would like to recognize its impact partnership with United Way of Cumberland County. This partnership is essential to funding programs offered by the organization. Connections of Cumberland County would also like to recognize its other community partners, the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland Community Foundation Inc., the Women’s Giving Circle of Cumberland County, and St. John's Episcopal Church.
To learn more about Connections of Cumberland County, become a volunteer, or donate, visit https://www.connectionsofcc.org/.

Connections of Cumberland County is located at 119 N. Cool Spring St. in downtown Fayetteville. The agency helps women, either with kids or without, the find their feet. Photos courtesy of Connections of Cumberland County)