Staff:
Mr. Belinda Edwards, Acting Program Coordinator
Email: bedwards@camdenhousing.org

Department Staff
Rhonda Wardlow-Hurley
Antionette Williams
Sharae Melton
Ruth Rouff, Academic Instructor
Gordon Palmer, Academic Instructor

Academic and vocational skills training in the construction field for young adults from ages 17 to 24 years of age. This program is geared towards educating and strengthening the leadership skills of the participants providing them the opportunity to open new doors and income possibilities. This program also has GED and Computer components as well.

The Youth Build Construction Trades Program continues its work-related initiatives serving low-income, inner-city young adults entering or transitioning to work. Career focus is on union-apprentice building trades employment opportunities that history has shown to be negligible or inaccessible to minorities and women. Program instruction strengthens skills needed for accessing construction industry employment and links graduates to work in career fields for which they were best suited. This initiatives builds community resources through local workforce development and helps households move across poverty thresholds into mainstream economy.

Employment:

Jobs
The employment staff strives hard to locate employers and match applicants with prospective jobs. To date there are over 65 employers in the tri-county area listed with HACC.

The Life Skills Program

To that end we offer a variety of workshops to all residents who attend the Center. Participants undergo an initial family assessment, develop an action plan for self-sufficiency, participate in life skill classes, stress management, self-esteem, budgeting, job readiness, parenting workshops, and a basic home maintenance course. Participants may also be eligible for additional support services including but not limited to: child-care, transportation, employment counseling, family counseling and drug/alcohol abuse counseling.

Resumes
Resume writing and interviewing techniques are also a part of the employment skills that are offered from the Resident Initiatives Department.

Jobs Fairs
There has been three job fairs held at the HACC since August where over 300 people have attended and been introduced to employers.

For more information contact:
(856) 968-2657

Success Learning Center
This educational center provides professional instruction to over 200 plus adult students each year. HACC residents throughout Camden County receive training in the area of basic computer literacy, adult basic education, GED preparation, and English as a Second Language (ESL). The ESL program has been expanded to meet the growing diversified needs of Camden City residents. Our students also receive workshops in life-skills such as budgeting, nutrition, and maintaining employment.

Program Includes:
• Adult Basic Skills Program. The program empowers residents with the skills to be effective and self-sufficient as a parent, workers, consumers and citizens.
• GED/ABE. Our curriculum covers the five subject test areas of writing, social studies, science, language arts and math for students seeking their high school graduate equivalency degree. In addition to our GED test prep course we also offer Adult Basic Education instruction. Over four hundred participants have been served through this program.
• ESL (English as a Second Language). This class is intended for students who do not speak English as their native language. The goal is to develop sufficient language skills and fluency so that residents can more readily find employment and communicate effectively within the larger community.
• Job Readiness. This workshop prepares students for success and independence through gainful employment. Topics include job search strategies and interview techniques, as well as on-the-jobs tips for those seeking careers in the public or private sector.
• Computer Literacy Training. Participants gain practical experience with computers, including familiarization with the basic computer components and an overview of computer software applications and keyboard skills

Neighborhood Network Program
The HACC’s Neighborhood Network Program (N.N.) is a resident and community oriented program which strives to continuously lessen the digital divide in low-income persons and families.  N.N. focuses on youth, unemployed and underemployed adults, senior residents.  It transitions youth from the world of video games, iPods, and DVDs to practical uses of computer technology for homework assistance, word processing, computer graphics and supervised Internet access for learning and enjoyment.  Adults and seniors receive training in Basic Skills of Computing; a 10-week class that covers Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.  Internet applications (i.e. online research tools, emails, website design, etc) are also taught.  N.N. also provides assistance with resume creation and upkeep every Friday by appointment only.

For more information contact: 
(856) 968-6197

Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS)
The HACC’s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program represents a community-based approach to the organization and delivery of local available services in order to help eligible families become self-reliant and independent of all forms of public assistance. The purpose of the FSS Program is to promote the development of local strategies that coordinate the use of housing assistance with public and private resources that enables eligible families to achieve economic independence and self-sufficiency. The goal of the program is to help low- income families improve their quality of life, awaken or renew self-esteem, while empowering all participants to recognize and utilize available resources from the community. This program is for those residents living in HACC Public Housing and Section 8 Voucher holders.

For more information contact:
Daniel Bielaszka, FSS Coordinator
dbielaszka@camdenhousing.org
(856) 968-6197

Homeownership Program
This is a first time home purchasing program for residents residing in HACC public housing and Section 8 voucher programs.  This initiatives trains the residents in the home purchasing process, and allows the client to use their Section 8 voucher towards their mortgage payment, instead of renting.  This program provides a    complete education to teach individuals how to gain control of their finances, deal with credit issues, and save money for the purchase of their first home. It provides homebuyers with the information to make them better informed buyers, while assisting each home buyer in becoming an essential part in the growth of a more financially responsible community.

For more information contact:
(856) 968-6197

Employment Retention Training Program
For adults of all ages, that teaches the steps to obtain employment and keep it.