Hope, help, and human connection: The impact of social work at Fulton County Libraries
At the Fulton County Library System, a growing team of dedicated social workers has quietly transformed hundreds of patrons’ lives each year for the past two years. These social workers are not only embedded in our library system, they are embedded in the community, traveling length of Fulton County.
In 2024 alone, the library’s social work team served 895 patrons, helping them navigate some of life’s most complex and urgent challenges. From finding shelter, to accessing basic needs like food, work uniforms, or a MARTA pass for a job interview – these professionals are offering more than just referrals. They’re offering hope.
“Every day, we do our best to meet people where they are and walk with them a little further down the path,” says Jovita Fenwick, the library’s lead social worker. “The needs are so different. In North Fulton, we often find seniors and immigrants who need help. In Central Fulton, many are experiencing homelessness or a crisis. In South Fulton, moms and caregivers seek support, stability and resources.”
What does social work at the library look like? In 2024, it looked like 245 housing referrals and 95 “Ask a Social Worker” sessions hosted across our 34 library branches and a Job and Resource Fair. From assisting with domestic violence referrals to helping returning citizens obtain a birth certificate or ID card (at a cost of around $125 per person), our social work team is a lifeline. They connect patrons to everything from mental health services and veterans benefits to government phones, job placement services, and legal aid.
Built on partnerships, powered by people
Fulton County Library System’s social work program is the only one of its kind in metro Atlanta. While similar models exist in Savannah and Athens, the Fulton County Library System is proud to lead this innovative work in our region. This success is built on strong partnerships with organizations like PADV, Intown Ministries, ADID, and local crisis clinics and in collaboration with over 30 community agencies. Together, these patrons provide essential wraparound support for our patrons.
“These aren’t just transactions,” said Jovita. “They’re acts of community care.”
Library social workers also support internal staff. In 2024, they hosted staff trainings on topics like compassion fatigue, helping library employees manage the emotional weight of working on the front lines of community needs.
Libraries have always been about access – to knowledge, opportunity, and a better future. Thanks to social work, they’re also about access to essential services, healing, and human connection. This innovative program is possible thanks to a simple but powerful idea: when people are supported in their moment of need, their lives – and communities – can change for the better.
Support library social work
If you believe in the power of libraries to meet people where they are and connect them to hope, consider making a gift Atlanta-Fulton Public Library Foundation to support the work of the social work team. Click here to give today.