Catholic Charities – Camden County – Services

About Us

Catholic Charities, in keeping with our mission, believes firmly in the right of every individual and family to safe, adequate, and affordable housing. As the U.S. Bishops wrote in their 1988 statement, “Homelessness and Housing: A Human Tragedy, A Moral Challenge:”

“We are reminded by the gospel that the first human problem Jesus faced on earth was a lack of shelter. There was ‘no room in the inn’ for the Holy Family in Bethlehem. Today, we see in the faces of homeless men, women, and children, the face of Christ. We know that in reaching out to them, standing with them in defending their rights, in working with them and their families for decent housing, we serve the Lord.”

HOUSING COUNSELING PROGRAM

Catholic Charities participates in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Housing Counseling program. This program is the basis for all of our housing assistance services. An individual requesting assistance is first referred to a trained case manager who conducts an interview to determine the root cause of the housing issue and identify the best course of action.

The case manager may work with the client on budgeting, enroll them in one of Catholic Charities’ in-house programs, or provide a referral to an outside agency for assistance. We turn no one away and will work to find a solution for everyone who comes to our door, with the end goal of helping each person we serve attain self-sufficiency.

Our current housing assistance programs include:

Rental Assistance Programs
Utilities Assistance
Veteran Housing Services
Matched Savings Program (for first-time home buyers)
Disaster Response

The Community Resource Warehouse provides donated home furnishings to Catholic Charities clients and members of the surrounding community on a pay-what-you-can basis. Catholic Charities clients who are accessing services through any of our programs – particularly newly arrived refugee clients, veterans, victims of fire and victims of domestic violence – are given furniture free of charge.

Located in the city of Camden, the warehouse is our first social enterprise venture. The sales of furniture to community members create revenue that is funneled directly into the warehouse’s operational costs. In this way we not only create a sustainable community service, we also put into practice our belief in the inherent dignity of purchasing items for oneself and one’s family.

The right of access to basic human needs – nutritious food, clothing, and shelter – has been a foundational element of our mission from our founding in 1936 through to today. We believe that by providing for these needs we preserve each individual’s God-given human dignity.

Our current basic needs services include:

Family and Community Services Centers By County