Collaboration isn’t just a buzzword in social services — it’s the foundation for meaningful, lasting impact. In the Lancaster service area, our programs are working more intentionally together to better serve families. According to Anthony Melgar, Program Manager overseeing our Prevention and After Care Program, that collaboration is making a measurable difference.
“Families don’t experience their challenges in silos,” Melgar shared. “So, our programs shouldn’t operate in silos either.”
The Lancaster service area covers a geographically large and diverse region. Families often navigate multiple systems at once — from housing and employment support to mental health, parenting resources, and youth services. Historically, programs may have operated independently, even when serving the same households. Melgar explained that intentional collaboration has helped bridge those gaps. “When programs communicate regularly and understand each other’s roles, we can coordinate services instead of duplicating efforts,” he said. “It reduces confusion for families and allows us to respond more quickly.” Through cross-program meetings, shared case coordination (when appropriate), and joint outreach efforts, staff are developing stronger relationships and clearer referral pathways. As a result, families are experiencing smoother transitions between services and more cohesive support plans.
As a Program Manager, Melgar sees firsthand how interconnected family needs can be. Housing instability may affect employment. Employment challenges can impact mental health. Parenting stress can increase when basic needs are unmet.
“Collaboration allows us to look at the whole picture,” Melgar noted. “Instead of addressing one issue at a time, we’re aligning our efforts, so families feel supported from multiple angles. “He emphasized that collaboration doesn’t mean losing each program’s identity or expertise. Rather, it strengthens individual programs by embedding them within a larger network of support. “Each program brings a unique strength,” he said. “When we combine those strengths, families benefit from a more comprehensive safety net.”
Beyond improving client experience, collaboration has also strengthened internal operations.
“When we collaborate, we’re not just handing off a referral and hoping for the best,” Melgar explained. “We’re building relationships with our partners so we can check in, problem-solve, and ensure families are actually connecting to services.” That level of coordination fosters trust — both between programs and with the community.
Melgar believes the success of collaboration in the Lancaster service area comes down to culture. “It starts with mindset,” he said. “When staff see each other as partners rather than separate entities, everything shifts. There’s more openness, more creativity, and ultimately better outcomes. “He credits leadership support and consistent communication as key factors in sustaining collaborative efforts. Regular opportunities for staff to connect, share updates, and celebrate successes have strengthened relationships across teams.
As collaboration continues to grow in Lancaster, Melgar sees even greater potential. “We’re building something sustainable,” he said. “The stronger our partnerships become, the more resilient our service system becomes. And that resilience directly benefits the families we serve.” In a field where resources are often stretched and needs are complex; collaboration isn’t just beneficial — it’s essential. In the Lancaster service area of Los Angeles County, it’s proving to be one of the most powerful tools for strengthening families and communities.
If you are interested in sharing your own stories of collaboration, please email Charito Guerrero at cguerrero@pennylane.org. We are always looking for opportunities to highlight the great work happening across our many programs.
-Charito Guerrero & Anthony Melgar, Penny Lane Centers
At Penny Lane Centers, collaboration often begins with conversations — teams sharing ideas, coordinating services, and working across programs to better support the families we serve. In this month’s Collaboration Corner, Anthony Melgar highlights how intentional partnerships across programs in the Lancaster service area are helping break down silos and create more holistic support for families. But collaboration doesn’t only happen in meetings or service plans — sometimes it unfolds in unexpected ways, when staff come together quickly to solve a complex problem with compassion and creativity. Bernie’s story below is a perfect example of how teamwork, dedication, and a shared commitment to our values can lead to extraordinary outcomes — not just for families, but for every member of their family, including their beloved pets.
On a Monday I got an email from a staff person; Nishmeth Vargas, in Commerce alerting me to the fact that one of her client families had to move out of a difficult domestic situation but they had many pets who also needed to be relocated and/or rehomed. We at Penny Lane know how important animal family members are to families and try to do what we can to help. This family had 7 Huskies: Mom, Dad and 5 puppies as well as a number of cats. On top of that the situation was dire, and the animals and families had to be out of the home on Thursday, which was coming up fast. Nishmeth reached out to the Pet Committee, looping in her supervisor, to see what we could do. How it worked out is a credit to community, collaboration, love for animals and just a lot of coordination and teamwork.
Rather than go into the step by step, email by email, text by text and finally Thursday a barrage of phone calls amongst a dedicated group miracles happened. The family members found someone(s) to take the cats which left us with 7 dogs. Maggie Williams got 4 of the puppies adopted. Kym James got a puppy adopted. The adult dogs were brought up to North Hills with the idea of putting them in boarding until we could get them adopted. Luckily the mom and her kids wanted the adult dogs back in their new place. So, within 24 hours of Nishmeth picking up all the animals on Thursday morning by the same time Friday all of the animals were spoken for and either in or on their way to their new homes.
There are so many people to thank starting with Nishmeth who jumped in to include a plan for the animals with the plan for the family members which led to her ultimately spending literally hours Thursday and Friday transporting the animals. To Kym and Maggie for getting the pups into new safe homes. Claudio received the dogs on Thursday night and made sure they were fed, walked and taken care of overnight. Nydia was ready calling boarding facilities so if needed we could place the dogs there. And finally, to our Pet Committee who did what they could to help along the way by contacting rescuers to offering assistance. I am beyond grateful to all as any day we can help an animal is a good day for me. I don’t want to minimize the teamwork, commitment to our values and hard work that went in to making this happen.
There are a lot of safe and happy animals thanks to you.
Check out some more photos below!
