The Salvation Army Kroc Center in Camden has been awarded $5,000 from the South Jersey COVID-19 Response Fund, which is managed by the Community Foundation of South Jersey (CFSJ). With support from CFSJ fund and others, the Kroc Center has provided tens of thousands of dollars worth of groceries and food to local residents since the pandemic’s onset. 

The Salvation Army New Jersey Division has experienced a four hundred percent increase in families seeking aid, including food,  statewide.  In order to meet the demand, The Salvation Army opened three warehouses located in Vineland, Red Bank, and Newark. At these locations, they receive and store food from New Jersey food banks in bulk. 

“We are so thankful that the Community Foundation of South Jersey was able to help fund our organization and support our families in need,” said Kroc Center Administrator Major Terry Wood, “The pandemic is not only an economic crisis but a mental health crisis caused by the stress residents are feeling.  We are working hard to help alleviate some of that stress as we provide help and hope. This grant surely helps.”

“Food access is a basic need. With the COVID-19 Response Fund,  we prioritized these triage needs,” said CFSJ Executive Director Andy Fraizer. “Now, more than ever, nonprofits such as the Kroc Center  need  help, and we are so proud of our South Jersey neighbors for stepping up to the challenge and providing the money needed to make our COVID-19 response possible.”

The South Jersey COVID-19 Response Fund continues to assist local nonprofits that need support in order to serve communities impacted by the pandemic. To date, the Fund has raised over $1 million, but this is not enough to meet the overwhelming need.  Since March, CFSJ has gotten over $6 million in grant requests.  If you would like to support the only such Fund where donations stay in our South Jersey region, please visit www.southjerseyresponsefund.org.

UrbanPromise, a Christian non-profit youth organization in Camden, New Jersey, secured a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of South Jersey’s (CFSJ) COVID-19 Response Fund to supplement its Emergency Family Fund addressing financial hardships of families UrbanPromise serves. 

UrbanPromise continues to achieve its mission in the face of the pandemic via modified youth and family programming.   The nonprofit organization has transitioned its schools to online learning and enhanced the wellness team to provideemotional support for parents and students.

UrbanPromise suspended spring activities and pivoted programming to creative approaches such as the creation and distribution of survival kits containing food ingredients and recipes, seeds for those who wanted to start or add to their home garden, and the delivery of bikes to those who wanted to stay active.

“We are very grateful for the grant the Community Foundation of South Jersey was able to provide us during this difficult period,” said UrbanPromise President Bruce Main. “The spring season is a huge fundraising time for us and we had to cancel everything due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant enabled us to provide critical support to our families.”

“UrbanPromise’s mission to engage and build developmental assets for Camden youth and young adults supports strong families and deep community in Camden,” said CFSJ Executive Director Andy Fraizer. “This and every grant from the South Jersey COVID-19 Response Fund is an investment in our neighbors during this difficult time.” .”

The South Jersey COVID-19 Response Fund continues to support local nonprofits serving communities impacted by the pandemic.  South Jersey neighbors, businesses, and philanthropy donated more than $1 million to the Fund. However, South Jersey nonprofits requested more than $6 million.  If you would like to contribute to the only such fund where donations stay in our South Jersey region, please visit www.southjerseyresponsefund.org.

The Community Foundation of South Jersey (CFSJ) announced today that a sixth community has been selected to receive a $100,000 Transform South Jersey grant.  The City of Woodbury in Gloucester County, through their local convening partner the FAF Coalition, now joins previously announced locations including the Town of Hammonton (Atlantic County), Willingboro Township (Burlington County), Winslow Township (Camden County), Downe Township (Cumberland County), and Salem City (Salem County). 

Transform South Jersey is a collaboration between the Community Foundation of South Jersey, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, New Jersey Health Initiatives (the statewide grantmaking program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation), the OceanFirst Foundation, the Orton Family Foundation, the PSEG Foundation, and the Wells Fargo Regional Community Development Corporation.  Using the Orton Family Foundation’s national Community Heart & Soul model, which has been implemented in almost 100 communities across the United States, the Transform South Jersey grants will support initiatives in the six recipient locations that bring people together to build stronger, healthier, and more economically vibrant communities.  For most locations, completing the four phases of Community Heart & Soul takes about two years.

“We are thrilled that additional funds from our partner organizations have allowed us to provide this Transform South Jersey grant to the FAF Coalition in the City of Woodbury,” said Andy Fraizer, Executive Director of the Community Foundation of South Jersey.  “Community Heart & Soul is a proven process that empowers people to shape the future of their communities by creating a shared sense of belonging that improves local decision-making, and ultimately strengthens social, cultural, and economic vitality.”

More than 190 South Jersey communities with populations of 50,000 or less spanning the eight counties CFSJ serves,including Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean and Salem, were eligible to apply for Transform South Jersey grants.  From this group, 32 municipalities were ultimately nominated for consideration and of those invited, 21 municipalities submitted final applications.

“The key component of the Heart & Soul process is learning what matters most to the community by engaging as many residents as possible, including those who do not normally participate in public discourse,” Fraizer continued.  “With full engagement as an integral part of the planning and development process, these often-unheard voices and their ideals become the foundation for building communities that are united, innovative, competitive and resilient.”

“We are incredibly grateful to be selected as a Transform South Jersey grant recipient,” said Jared Hunter, FAF Coalition Program Director.  “It has been a rigorous process getting to this point, but I believe it has given us the opportunity to create a positive environment in the community.  We also developed connections among various groups throughout the city that are excited to work alongside us in the near future.  We want to thank the Community Foundation and all of the funding partners for showing confidence in our city.”

As a Transform South Jersey grant recipient, the FAF Coalition will have access to up to $100,000 in funding to support ongoing staffing, marketing, and communications needs associated with a full-scale implementation of the Community Heart & Soul model in their town. They will also receive exclusive coaching, training, and technical assistance.  Each community has also committed to working with CFSJ to raise at least $25,000 to serve as an endowed portion of their own individual community fund. The proceeds from these investments will be used to support additional projects identified by the communities for many years to come.

To learn more about the selected communities and their progress as they embark on Community Heart & Soul, visit transformsouthjersey.org.