I get a lot of press releases about local social services agencies receiving grants of $5,000 or $10,000 for various programs, so when I first opened the one-paragraph e-mail from Bethsaida Community, Inc. last week, I expected the usual announcement from this highly respected if quiet organization.

The second sentence got me: “help 150 homeless women throughout southeastern Connecticut.” I called Claire Silva, Bethsaida executive director and was even more impressed. Make that 150 women per year for five years. The grant from the obscure federal agency Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is for $350,000 per year for five years for southeastern Connecticut.

Those are grant dollar totals usually reserved for Hartford, New Haven or Bridgeport, while southeastern Connecticut gets the change.

The need is here. Bethsaida reluctantly turns away dozens of applicants every year wanting to stay at the Katie Blair House, a supportive housing program for homeless women in Norwich. There’s a two-year waiting list for the Flora O’Neil Apartments for women next door.

Silva knew that collaboration among local social services and health care agencies is the norm in this region, though often taken for granted. She put all those long-standing relationships together for a winning proposal.

The success in obtaining this grant shows that working together for the same cause can work wonders. Don’t ever take it for granted.

Give credit to Silva and Bethsaida and all the partner agencies: United Community and Family Services, the Women’s Center of Southeastern Connecticut, the New London Hospitality Center, Sound Community Services, Community Care Teams in Norwich and New London, Mystic Area Shelter & Hospitality (MASH), TVCCA, the Covenant Shelter in New London and St. Vincent de Paul Place soup kitchen in Norwich.