WELCOME New Jersey

A Welcome Letter From 

Aziz Dehkan   Executive Vice-President 

STRIVE/ INTERNATIONAL

Dear Friends:

Based on its research on the widespread incidence of poverty and unemployment in Camden, New Jersey, and examination of possible programmatic responses, the Ford Foundation requested STRIVE, to assess whether our program of job     readiness and long term support could help address the employment needs of Camden’s poor and disadvantaged individuals. In the course of our review of the opportunities, we found that many local residents need help to enter the labor force. After the need for a STRIVE program has been established, the next step in establishing an affiliate in a new community is to identify a local organization to sponsor the program. From meetings with and visits to more than 25 service providers in Camden, and meetings with government agencies connected to workforce development, we identified Camden Community Connections as THE strong local program currently providing youth employment services and who  is well suited to         expanding to an adult population and implementing the STRIVE model.

The Camden Community Connections Program provides positive yet reality-based experience that prepares the youth for work, career opportunities and self-sufficiency. It has brought together resources from the justice system, workforce system and the faith-based community.  The program is now recognized as an official “Alternatives to Incarceration” program by the probation, parole, and court systems. 

Camden Community Connection’s service delivery approach is similar to the STRIVE model in many ways. They have an extensive intake process, their curriculum includes job readiness and “image” training, on-staff job developers negotiate job placements with a network of approximately 100 employers, and they have a computerized database for tracking clients.  As with STRIVE, participants are not guaranteed jobs; they must earn them based on the strength of their self-presentation during the interview—a skill they learn through the program. 

Martha Chavis, the Executive Director, has worked for and directed many service programs and has served as a consultant to many of Camden’s faith-based organizations and workforce initiatives in the thirty years she has lived there. Although their current target population are youth, almost all of the program staff are experienced in working with difficult adult populations as well, and several are veterans in the workforce development field.  Further, many of the staff are long-time Camden residents who command respect in the African-American and Latino communities.

A STRIVE program in Camden will make a significant improvement in the lives of the “hard-to-serve,” low income adults who live in one of the most economically depressed urban areas in Northeastern United States.  Through the creation of this program, STRIVE would be offering employers access to an untapped workforce that can bring value to the region’s current and future economic development initiatives. Incorporating a career track program in collaboration with Per Scholas right at the outset will allow qualified graduates to advance as quickly as possible, and set an example for future participants.  STRIVE has extensive experience working with these specific populations, and matching job seekers with employers in a variety of industries.

So it is with great pride,  great promise, and great confidence that we awarded the STRIVE Camden , along with a 3 year $1.8 m grant,  to Martha Chavis and the Camden Community Connections Team.

Cordially,