It Started With a Place to Gather
In 2007, The Branches began in a single bay of a strip mall.
It was created as a gathering place for parishioners of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Stone Harbor and members of St. Barnabas by the Bay in Villas, a place to share coffee and conversation, participate in Bible studies, and come together for special events.
But as people began walking through the doors, something became increasingly clear:
There were neighbors in our community who needed more than a place to gather. They needed a place to turn.
With a church thrift shop next door, The Branches began seeing more and more people experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, poverty, and other hardships. So we responded.
We began providing meals, clothing, and other basic necessities to people who needed them.
And then something incredible happened.
The community showed up.
Churches began donating food. Restaurants offered meals. Local businesses contributed resources. Agencies began connecting people to services. Individuals volunteered their time, donated what they could, and helped spread the word.
What started as a small gathering place became something much bigger: a community-wide effort to care for our neighbors.
As the need grew, so did our mission.
Our Dedicated Staff
Alana Maldonado, BSW
Executive Director
Alana joined the team in December of 2024. Prior to taking on her new role at The Branches Outreach, Alana spent six years working at Cape Assist, a non-profit agency that specializes in Substance Use Prevention and Treatment in Cape May County. Through her work at Cape Assist, Alana engaged in assessment, research, community collaboration, outreach initiatives and activities to reduce risk and enhance protective factors in Cape May County. She wore many hats at the agency, first serving as the coordinator of Older Adult Programs from 2018-2020, the Youth Sector Coalition Coordinator from 2018-2022, and most recently, the Mental Health Awareness Trainings Coordinator from 2022-2024. In her most recent role Alana worked to spread education and awareness about biopsychosocial factors that lead to mental health and substance use challenges, how to address these topics, and link individuals with resources in the community.
Alana holds many trainer certifications in evidence-based curriculums in subjects such as Life Skills, Wellness Initiatives, Strengthening Families, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, Substance Use Education, Suicide Prevention, and Mental Health. Alana has also been an active participant in community coalition work and remains actively engaged with all 12 sectors of the community.
Alana believes wholeheartedly in the mission of The Branches to provide personal care, case management, and compassionate support to those in need in Cape May County.
It is Alana’s belief that through human connections and acts of kindness, we can empower individuals to take necessary steps to connect with additional resources and achieve recovery. The first step is to meet an individual’s basic needs.
Alana’s experience in the field, personal life experience, and education in Human Services and Social Work drive her passion to lead The Branches Outreach.
Sandra Lockhart
Operations Director
Sandra has been at the Branches since its inception, serving first as a volunteer with her husband, Father Ron Lockhart. Sandra feels that the totality of her life experiences brought her to The Branches Outreach where she now serves as the Operations Director. After graduation from college, she was fortunate enough to participate in a training program for Special Education. That led her down an unexpected path, but one she loved. Eventually, she started the Special Education Program in the Springfield, Delaware County, PA School District.
Working alongside her Pastor husband, she experienced life-and-death situations as few are privileged to know. Her activity in parish life also included serving as a senior warden, vestry member, and eucharistic minister.
The addiction of a family member led Sandra in yet another direction. She spent a week in the Family Program at The Betty Ford Clinic in California and then enrolled in the Addiction Counseling Program at Villanova University with her husband. They eventually taught in two counties in PA in a program designed for the families of addicted persons. At the same time, they trained as Interventionists and together delivered interventions.
Sandra is grateful to have been part of the growth of The Branches Outreach and looks forward to its continued growth, as the needs in Cape May County are great.
Scott Mason
Outreach & Safety Director
Scott Mason is a retired Lieutenant with the Cape May County Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Division with over 31 years of experience. Scott spent 10 years as an undercover narcotics agent experiencing firsthand the effects drug addiction has on our community.
He spent the last 3 and a half years developing the CMC Sheriffs Outreach Unit in partnership with Hope 1, The Branches Outreach, the Cape May County Superior Court system and more providing those in our community with the necessary resources and support to succeed in their journey. This led him to take the position on the Cape May County Recovery Court Team, which he still holds today.
Scott is a champion of diversion and prevention programs ensuring people experiencing homelessness, crisis, substance abuse disorder and more are connected to the resources needed to make both short- and long-term life improvements. Scott’s passion for helping those who feel there is no help left has brought him to The Branches Outreach in hopes of continuing to serve our community.
Scott has been a leader in putting the needs of our community first and bridging the gap between vulnerable residents, service providers, local law enforcement, government, the legal system and other agencies as we strive to create a brighter future for all in Cape May County.
Jeanette Hill
Case Management Supervisor
Jeanette brings over 27 years of experience in behavioral health and human services. She holds a master’s degree in the field and is recognized for her leadership, innovation, and commitment to client-centered care.
Previously, Jeanette pioneered Volunteers of America’s first navigational resource system in Cape May County as Impact Coordinator, where she supervised and mentored a multidisciplinary team, created rapid response networks, and built strong community partnerships. She has also coordinated immediate crisis interventions, facilitated housing placements for incarcerated and at-risk individuals, and developed treatment plans that increased client engagement and staff retention.
Jeanette’s work has been recognized by NCAAR, Cooper University Hospital’s Cares Program, and the Cape May County Board of Commissioners for her outstanding contributions. She believes deeply in The Branches’ mission and is eager to contribute her expertise and passion to our team. We are excited to have her on board as our new Case Manager Supervisor and are looking forward to the next chapter at The Branches!
Emma Curry M.Ed
Director of Development
Emma comes to The Branches with a strong background in nonprofit leadership, community partnerships, grant development, education, public speaking, events, and creative strategy. Most importantly, she understands that strong organizations are built through strong relationships — something that fits beautifully with who we are at The Branches.
In her new role, Emma will help us strengthen community partnerships, expand fundraising, grow awareness of our work, and build the systems we need to continue moving The Branches forward.
She also happens to be an English professor, has driven across the country six times, performs stand-up comedy, loves karaoke, and apparently has a competitive thumb-wrestling history. So we think she’ll fit in just fine around here.
The Branches has grown tremendously over the last several years, and bringing Emma onto our leadership team is an exciting next step in that growth.
People helping people.
We believe everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect — especially during life’s most difficult moments.
And we believe no one organization can do this work alone.
The Branches exists because a community saw a need and decided to do something about it.
Today, our volunteers, donors, sponsors, community partners, churches, businesses, and supporters continue that tradition every day.
The need is still here. And so are we.
There is always more work to do, and there is always a place for you at The Branches.
Board of Trustees
Our organization is fortunate to have a dedicated group of individuals who guide and shape our strategic direction. Comprised of esteemed leaders from various backgrounds and industries, our Board of Trustees plays a crucial role in upholding our mission and ensuring our organization’s continued success.
