Philanthropy

Cathedral Kitchen (CK) is the largest emergency food provider in Camden, New Jersey, serving more than 100,000 meals a year - each one cooked on the premises, plated and served at the table (there is no "soup line") — to impoverished residents of Camden. CK also provides meals for local after school programs, groceries for low-income senior centers, and sends donated food to local pantries, churches and soup kitchens that also serve its client population.

CK operates to social enterprises, a contract meal program serving local shelters and halfway houses, and its own CK Café, a retail dining outlet open for lunch and private parties. Revenue from these enterprises, along with public donations, generate the funds needed for CK's human services programs that provide free groceries and personal care items to families and individuals in need, general healthcare and dental services, and case management services to assist dinner guests and students with a variety of needs as well as provide referrals to other agencies.

Cathedral Kitchen's Culinary Arts Training Program and the Baking Arts Training Program operate concurrently for 17 weeks enrolling approximately 60 students per year. Both programs include classroom instruction in culinary/ baking arts, plus ServSafe certification training, life skills, financial literacy, and interviewing skills training. Graduates are assisted with job placement and over 86 percent of graduates find employment during the first three months following graduation.

The Boys & Girls Club of Camden County believes helping kids succeed requires a multi-faceted approach. It takes caring mentors, such as our trained Club staff. It takes a safe place, like our Clubs that are consistently there for the kids they serve. It takes innovative, quality programs designed to empower youth to excel in school and lead healthy, productive lives. We do whatever it takes to ensure all kids have a great future.

BGC serves school-age youth through a variety of programs including homework assistance, technology centers, teen centers, career exploration, job assistance, sports and recreation, art classes and leadership development.97% of Club teens expect to graduate from high school and 88% expect to complete some kind of post-secondary education. The Camden chapter even has a youth STEM (Science, Technology, & Math) program that is working to develop a partnership with ResinTech to include hands-on exposure to our world-class laboratory.

UrbanPromise (UP) launched its first official summer camp in an old Baptist church in the city of Camden in 1988. With an initial budget of just $12,000 and a nearly all-volunteer staff, UrbanPromise now operates from a budget of $4.4 million and employs approximately 50 full-time employees and 20 part-time employees. In addition, UP provides more than 100 young people with part-time jobs throughout the year.

UP's mission is to equip children and young adults with the skills necessary for academic achievement, life management, spiritual growth, and leadership.Their programs include several after-school and summer camps, two schools, job training, experiential learning, and a host of other programs that challenge youth to develop and realize their potential. They are unique in their commitment to involving local teens (known as StreetLeaders) in the tutoring, mentoring, and coaching of younger children in the community. By involving teens in the leadership process, UrbanPromise is creating a new generation of young, visionary leaders who embody a commitment to change their own community.

This relational approach has yielded tremendous success: 92% of high school students graduate and 89% transition to college (82%) or a vocational training program (7%). Many alumni return to the organization as employees or volunteers, or to enroll their children in UrbanPromise activities. Their programs have inspired replications around the country and across the globe.UrbanPromise sites now exist in more than 20 locations around the world.