Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report
Strengthening the Fabric of the South Jersey Community
In 2021, with over a decade of experience to guide us, Joseph’s House maintained momentum in our mission to holistically engage people experiencing homelessness in gaining stability and control of their lives…
Financials & Statistics
Moral fabric – The Joseph’s House family embraces our human responsibility to care for the life and dignity of all people – whatever our racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences – for the common good and well-being of everyone…
Our Mission
To holistically and individually engage people experiencing homelessness in gaining stability and control of their lives...
“No neighbor has to sleep outside, even for one night.”
Success Stories
Wilfredo, a man in his 60s, came to us in 2021 after being referred from a halfway house in Trenton. He was struggling with myriad health issues, including arthritis and blindness, and felt wholly uncared for by the world. He was, at times, verbally abrasive. Denise Mattia, the social worker who would come to be his strongest advocate, recognized his outbursts were due to feelings of fear and depression. As such, she took special care with him and intentionally told him that she wanted more for him because "I care about you." Soon, Denise wore down Wilfredo's walls and helped him schedule his necessary medical appointments.
In addition to helping him address his medical needs, Denise worked hard at coaxing Wilfredo into recognizing his own capacity for change. While at Joseph's House, he struggled with drug addiction on more than one occasion. Each and every time, Denise was there saying, "I STILL care about you. I want more for you. We can do this together." Unfortunately, the monster of addiction is terrible, and Wilfredo left our facility for about a month. In that time, Denise did not stop trying to reach out. While not a guest, Wilfredo still came to us for food or water, and would timidly ask if Denise would still consider helping him. Of course, Denise welcomed him back with open arms. Wilfredo, echoing the words Denise always said to him, told her "I want more for myself, too." That day, Denise connected him to a 6 month addiction counseling program that got him the help he needed and addressed many of his underlying struggles.
A few weeks ago, he returned to Joseph's House not as a guest, but as a sober visitor who headed straight to Denise to thank her. He said, "She never gave up on me. Never. Not once. And here I am today. She's my angel. She's my angel, and this place is why I'm alive and thriving today.”
Homelessness Snapshot
Although the number of unsheltered individuals has been going down in recent years, the number of chronically homeless individuals staying in shelters has increased – up 20% between 2020 and 2021…
