On Wednesday, the Camden County Board of Commissioners organized a homeless services and resource fair aimed at delivering free essential services to people in need. The event provided on-site showers and haircuts, meals for breakfast and lunch, and access to organizations offering help with employment, housing, legal support, and mental health care.
Commissioner Virginia Betteridge, who serves as liaison to the Department of Health and Human Services, stated: “Our homelessness resource fairs help to deliver critical wraparound services directly to people who are experiencing homelessness. This is just one step in towards our goal of ending homelessness in Camden County once and for all.”
The fair included participation from several service providers such as the Camden County Board of Social Services, Office of Mental Health & Addiction, Division of Community Development, Volunteers of America, Cooper University Hospital Center for Healing/Department of Addiction Medicine, Rutgers University Free Books Project, Hispanic Family Center, Camden County Prosecutors’ Office, South Jersey Legal Services, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Senior Citizens United Community Services (SCUCS), Center for Family Services, and the Camden County Office of Economic Opportunity.
Earlier this year in April 2024, the Board of Commissioners along with the Camden County Office of Homelessness Services introduced a six-point plan focused on ending chronic homelessness in the county by 2030. The plan uses various programs and partnerships across all municipalities within Camden County. The target is to reach “functional zero,” which means that the number of homeless individuals—whether sheltered or unsheltered—does not exceed the monthly rate at which people are placed into housing. More information about these efforts can be found at www.camdencounty.com/service/end-chronic-homelessness-in-camden-county/.
