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| Agency Mission and CAP Promise |
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The agency's mission is to provide services that improve the quality of life and promote self-sufficiency.
CAP Promise: Community Action changes people's lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes America a better place to live. We care about the entire community, and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other.
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| Contact Information |
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Rivers Edge Campus
(Headquarters)
110 Cohansey Street
Bridgeton, NJ
08302
(856) 451-6330
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The name Gateway Community Action Partnership reflects our expanded coverage area, but more importantly, it signifies what we are all about. We are a gateway to success for individuals and families in our community and we achieve those results through actions done in partnership within that very community we serve. So please take a minute to read our newsletter and learn more about our successes and struggles as we serve a Gateway to Community Action in Partnership with others for everyone's benefit!
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Gateway Launches Bridgeton's Mobile Feeding Bus
With Support From OceanFirst Foundation
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Gateway Community Action Partnership formally launched the new Healthy Food Express-Bridgeton's Mobile Feeding Bus on Aug. 24 by hosting a ribbon cutting event.
Gateway staff, community members and representatives from OceanFirst Foundation gathered at Gateway's River's Edge Campus in Bridgeton to celebrate the launch of the summer feeding program, aimed at plugging the food insecurity gap when children are out of school during the summer months.
The Healthy Food Express summer feeding program will bring healthy, nutritious meals to youth throughout Bridgeton and Cumberland County.
Among those in attendance included Albert Kelly, Gateway President and CEO; Kathy Durante, Executive Director OceanFirst Foundation; Tracy Jenkins, OceanFirst Bank local branch manager; Edward Geletka, OceanFirst Bank Senior Vice President Government Banking/Community Relations; Stephanie Sutton-Page, NJ Department of Agriculture Coordinator Summer Food Service Program and Gateway board members John Washington and Ed Diehl, the President of Seabrook House.
"It's just such an incredible idea to bring the food to the kids where they need it most," said Kathy Durante, Executive Director of the OceanFirst Foundation. "It is important to OceanFirst that families get the nutritious food they deserve. This program will help to do just that."
"I'm thrilled because this is something that we've talked about among our staff, and to see an idea come to fruition: from an idea to funding to now we have it actually on the road servicing people. I'm euphoric," said Kelly. "It is my hope to feed everyone in the community. Wherever there is a person in need, our bus will bring healthy meals to them."
The Healthy Food Express Bus will also include a library containing books appropriate for children of all ages.
Community members present at the event were able to take a tour of the new Healthy Food Express Bus and received bags of fresh fruits and vegetables provided by Gateway's Mill Creek Urban Farm. The youth present at the ceremony received book bags and school supplies.
During the ceremony, OceanFirst Foundation presented Gateway Community Action Partnership with a check for $10,000 to support Gateway's Healthy Food Express - Bridgeton's Mobile Feeding Bus. The event also included a ceremonial ribbon cutting, marking the official launch of the new Healthy Food Express Bus summer feeding program. "We are officially in business," stated Kelly.
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Gateway A Partner In Creating "A New Day" At Bridgeton Villas
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Albert B. Kelly stood at a podium in the parking lot of Bridgeton Villas - an affordable housing complex built in the 1960s that is clearly in need of a major makeover - and happily delivered a message to the people who call Bridgeton Villas home.
"I want the residents to know that this is a new day here in Bridgeton Villas," said Kelly, Gateway Community Action Partnership's President and CEO and Mayor of Bridgeton.
WinnCompanies, an award-winning multifamily property development and management company, broke ground on an $18.7 million rehabilitation of Bridgeton Villas on July 27 and announced its plans in a press conference that included remarks by Kelly, Edward Bethea, Gateway's Executive Vice President and COO and Senate President Stephen Sweeney.
Gateway is a partner in this project, and will provide social services to the residents and weatherization to the units. As part of Gateway's partnership, 10 of the units will be utilized to house homeless through the Cumberland County Housing First collaborative, of which Gateway is the lead agency.
The project will improve 100 units located in five buildings. Work will include mechanical system upgrades along with kitchen and bathroom overhauls. Exterior improvements include beautification of building facades, new entryways, complete roof replacement, landscape work and parking lot repair. Along with the 10 units for homeless, five units will be made ADA compliant. In addition, more than 40 full-time workers will be hired to complete the first phase of the project.
Work will start this summer. WinnCompanies/WinnDevelopment expects the project to be completed in late 2018. Financial/funding partners include: HUD, New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, the City of Bridgeton, Citi Community Capital and AEGON Capital Management.
"There is a mindset that low-income housing or Section 8 housing is not quality housing," Kelly said. "I am thankful to WinnDevelopment in changing that mindset. They are investing in new infrastructure. New kitchens, bathrooms, exteriors. Just because you do not have the finances to own a house does not mean that you have to live in a home that is less than stellar."
Bethea said this project will have a positive impact on the residents and the city and that Gateway is eager to contribute to its success.
"We are excited about turning this development around," Bethea said. "We are excited about providing social services to the residents here. And we are excited about partnering with Cumberland County Housing First to eliminate homelessness in the county by 2020. This project is a part of that solution.
"On behalf of our President and CEO at Gateway, our board of directors, our team at Gateway, we salute you on this effort. We will work with you shoulder-to-shoulder to make this happen. We thank you for including Gateway in this development."
Sweeney said this project is an example of how Bridgeton is turning things around.
"It is important to have a safe, quality place to live to raise your family and give your children a chance," Sweeney said. "Education, housing and community matter. The city under Mayor Kelly's leadership has really turned the corner. There are a lot of positive things happening here."
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Greater Bridgeton FSC Prepares Children To Start School With Back To School Bash
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The Greater Bridgeton Family Success Center held its 7th Annual Back to School Bash on Aug. 16 at the Bridgeton Riverfront Plaza.
The fun-filled, free event was open to the public and included give-away items such as backpacks filled with school supplies and free haircuts for children. The event was attended by more than 300 community members and featured a DJ, music, a dance off (youth vs. Bridgeton PD), games, giveaways, dunk tank, food, moon bounce, face painting, and so much more. In addition to family fun activities, the event promoted academic success for students returning to school and provided families with community resources. More than 300 book bags filled with school supplies were distributed to children during the event.
The Greater Bridgeton Family Success Center, a program run by Gateway Community Action Partnership, collaborated with the following organizations for the Back to School Bash: Century Bank, Catholic Charities, TD Bank, Cumberland County Health Department, Black Ice Cuts, AA Party Rentals Inflatables, Weisman Children's Institute, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cumberland & Salem, Fam Care, Center for Family Services, Bridgeton Library, Rutgers Southern Regional CCR&R, Bridgeton Fire Department, Cornerstone, Cumberland County Prosecutors Office, Bridgeton Police Department, RCB Face Painting, Ruth's Fab Face's, Outlaw's Burgers Team Food Truck, The Best of Southern Cooking Food Truck, Cumberland County College and Carmelo's Ristorante. A generous donation from Woodruff Energy helped make the book bag giveaway possible.
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Gateway's 30th Anniversary Gala Set For Nov. 9 At Camden Aquarium
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Gateway is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2017 and we want you to share in our celebration! Gateway is holding its 30th Anniversary Gala at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden on Nov. 9. For sponsorship and ticket information, please contact Kyana Evans by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 856-497-6631.
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Spring Gardens Senior Housing Hosts Event To Promote Cultural Awareness
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Dancers from the Vineland Puerto Rican Festival visited Spring Gardens Senior Housing to promote cultural awareness. The Cultural Awareness Day event was held on July 25 in celebration of the 50th year Anniversary of the Puerto Rican Festival held in Vineland and throughout the U.S. We celebrated the culture with a show of traditional dances and food from the native land of Puerto Rico and its people. Initially, Puerto Rico was called, "Porto Rico" which translates to "Rich Port." The name was given due to the island's rich and vast resources in fruits, rice, coffee, sugar cane and other delights only found on the island. The local Vineland pageant winners, the Queen (the oldest in the group), and princesses for various age groups, greeted the residents and staff and entertained us with the "plena," the native dance of Puerto Rico. This dance derives from the African roots of the culture and is still very much a part of the heritage today. We celebrated with both the residents of Spring Gardens and the Adult Day Care; everyone enjoyed the food and festivities.
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| Spring Gardens resident Benny Munoz, an accomplished guitarist, contributed to the festivities. |
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BB&T Bank Brightens Outdoor Area For Spring Gardens Residents With Donations
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Gateway Community Action Partnership would like to thank our friends at BB&T Bank for their generous donation of a beautiful gazebo, picnic bench, table, and plants for our Spring Gardens Senior Housing Apartments. This was made possible by a grant through the BB&T Lighthouse Project. Gateway was nominated by Natalie Conde,
Cluster Market Leader for the Lincoln Ave
. and Minotola BB&T Bank Branches. Natalie and several other employees from the local bank in Vineland, NJ volunteered their time on July 24 to plant the flowers and stain the Gazebo, picnic table, and bench. The residents will now be able to enjoy an additional space to sit and relax outside through the Spring, Summer and Fall months. Thanks again BB&T!
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Mercer County Head Start Family Partnership Team Conducts Training
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Gateway's Mercer County Head Start Family Partnership team, Site Directors and Family Advocates hard at work during Family Partnership training.
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Gateway Participates In National Farmers Market Week
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Gateway Community Action Partnership participated in the National Farmers Market week (August 6-12) by bringing clients from our WIC and Spring Gardens Senior Housing programs to Rottkamp Farms in Bridgeton.
NJ Health Commissioner Cathleen Bennett, NJ Agriculture Secretary Douglas Fisher, USDA Region II Administrator Pat Dombrowsky, and Gateway CAP President/CEO and Mayor of Bridgeton Albert Kelly delivered remarks at the event celebrating National Farmers Market Week.
"We are here today to talk about WIC and Senior Voucher programs as another way we can make Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables available in our state and as a way that we can support our farmer's markets," Fisher said. "The program promotes the sale of our fresh fruits and vegetables from our farmers."
The WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition program works with local farmers to provide eligible children, families and seniors with locally-grown fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs. Rottkamp Farms, a WIC/Senior certified farm, accepts both WIC and Senior Farmers Market vouchers.
"I am so happy to have everyone here to celebrate healthy living and healthy eating here in Cumberland County," Mayor Kelly said. "I encourage the people of the community to be a part of this celebration. This is why New Jersey is called the Garden State. Because of efforts from local farmers like the Rottkamp family and those from state and federal officials. This is why New Jersey is ground zero for healthy living and healthy eating."
Karina, a participant in the Gateway WIC program added, "I would like to thank the WIC program for offering fresh fruits and vegetables to women like me who are pregnant." Other program participants shared stories on the importance of healthy eating.
Each eligible WIC participant receives $20 worth of vouchers for the season to buy fresh fruit and produce from authorized farmers. Each eligible senior in the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program can receive $25 worth of vouchers per season.
WIC Participants and Seniors present at the event were able to trade their farmers market nutrition checks for pre-packaged bags of fruits and vegetables with recipes on how to prepare the produce. The event was held to bring awareness to the WIC and Senior Farmers Market voucher programs by increasing voucher redemption rates.
In instances where clients cannot get to a voucher redemption site, local farmers such as Santaniello Farms in Vineland will travel to WIC offices to make it easier for participants to access fruits and vegetables. Gateway CAP's Healthy Food Express Mobile Bus also transports healthy, nutritious meals to needy individuals throughout Bridgeton and Cumberland County.
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Glory Tabernacle Summer Campers Work With Gateway Gleaning To Distribute Food
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Youth from the Glory Tabernacle summer camp visited Weaver Farms in Pittsgrove on Aug. 22. As part of Gateway's Gleaning program, youth picked watermelons at the farm. The watermelons were distributed to local churches and food pantries. The youth also received a brief tour of the hydroponic greenhouses located on the farm. Marcus Weaver, Gateway's Director of Agriculture and Food Initiatives, led the youth in this activity.
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Mill Creek Crossings Housing Providing Homes To Qualified Buyers
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A second approved applicant has closed on a home located in Gateway Community Action Partnership's Mill Creek Crossings Development in Bridgeton. Caroline Fuentes, pictured above with her daughter Sasha, became the second person to purchase a home in the newly built Mill Creek Crossings housing development.
Fuentes completed the Mill Creek Crossings First Time Home Buyers Program and received a grant to cover the closing costs of her new home. She also completed homeownership counseling workshops and met all the program requirements necessary to purchase one of the new homes.
The house is one of 10 newly built homes constructed on South Avenue and Eagle Street in Bridgeton's Southeast Gateway Neighborhood. The Mill Creek Crossings homes provide affordable, quality houses with three bedrooms, 1.5 baths, living room, dining room, kitchen, appliances and central air, all with a starting price of $77,500. First-time homebuyers with a minimum income of $31,620 annually and maximum income of $42,150 are eligible. For an application or additional information on Mill Creek Crossings homes on South East Avenue, call 800-457-3188.
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Support Gateway CAP By Shopping At AmazonSmile
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| You can support Gateway's mission "to provide services that improve the quality of life and promote self-sufficiency" while shopping at Amazon's "AmazonSmile" during this holiday season or any time of year. Please click on the link below the next time you shop. More information about the program follows the link. Thank you. Click Here To Donate To Gateway Through AmazonSmile!
What is AmazonSmile?
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Gateway Community Action Partnership every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at
smile.amazon.com, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to Gateway.
How do I shop at AmazonSmile?
To shop at AmazonSmile simply click on the link above or go to
smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You may also want to add a bookmark to
smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile.
Which products on AmazonSmile are eligible for charitable donations?
Tens of millions of products on AmazonSmile are eligible for donations. You will see eligible products marked "Eligible for AmazonSmile donation" on their product detail pages. Recurring Subscribe-and-Save purchases and subscription renewals are not currently eligible.
Can I use my existing Amazon.com account on AmazonSmile?
Yes, you use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or baby registry, and other account settings are also the same.
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A
round Gateway Community Action Partnership ... News and Notes
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Gateway CAP employees who donated to the United Way were entered into a drawing to win a prize. Ebony Everett, Social Services Office Manager, was the lucky winner, taking home a Samsung Galaxy tablet. Ebony is pictured with Albert B. Kelly, Gateway's President and CEO. Congratulations, Ebony!
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Internet Essentials
, a program offered by Comcast, gives income-eligible families access to the Internet for $9.95 a month with no activation fee, equipment fees or price increases. Having the Internet enables children to do homework, type reports or do research and enables the parents to e-mail teachers as well as look for jobs, pay bills or find doctors.
Gateway Community Action Partnership is working with Comcast to inform families of the program. Internet Essentials is available to households that have children eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program or if they receive HUD housing assistance. They must reside in a Comcast service area and must not have subscribed to Comcast Internet in the last 90 days or have overdue Comcast bills. Also, low-cost computers are being offered for $149.99 and free training is accessible if needed. To get more information or to sign up, visit www.internetessentials.com or call 1-855-846-8376. ... Gateway operates the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants & Children (WIC) in Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic and Salem counties. The program provides supplemental foods, nutrition education, lactation support, immunization education and health care referrals to income-eligible pregnant women, new mothers, infants and children up to age 5. Gateway WIC serves more than 23,000 clients annually through flexible hours through its eight (8) offices and a full-service, health screening mobile office. WIC is an equal opportunity program. If you believe you have been discriminated against because of race, color, national origin, age, sex or handicap, write immediately to: USDA, Director-Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC, 20250 - 9410. For additional information on the Gateway WIC program or nearest office location and hours of operation, call the Gateway WIC program at 856-451-5600 or 856-225-5050. ... Gateway's Head Start program is once again sponsoring the Child Care Food Program. This program is designed to provide meals to children receiving services in Head Start centers located throughout Atlantic, Cape May, Mercer, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties. Meals are available at no separate charge to all children 12 and under enrolled in the Child Care Food Program and are served without regard to race, color, national origin, disability, age or sex.
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Germantown-Lehigh Early Head Start staff worked hard recruiting families at the Philadelphia Center for Family Development. The staff participated in the North CCIS 25th Anniversary Community Day.
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Sincerely,
Michael Cudemo
Gateway Community Action Partnership
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