Joseph's House of Camden, LLC

2021 Annual Report

From the Desk of Shawn SheekEy

Strengthening the Fabric of the 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.

At our core, we are a safe haven within our community. With empathy for their situations and respect for everyone as individuals, we offer our guests hospitality and hope. As brothers and sisters of our community, we know in our hearts how deserving they are of our patience and stewardship.

Beyond just sheltering people, Joseph’s House has evolved into a professional hub that offers our guests the ability to connect with specialized agencies in Camden and throughout southern New Jersey. The resources of these agencies further support our guests as they work to resolve their issues, overcome their challenges, and resume productive living.

The team at Joseph’s House is also dedicated to reducing the need for our services. We focus on the systemic challenges that perpetuate homelessness and strive to remediate them.

By these three accounts, Joseph’s House has become an active and transforming entity in the fabric of Camden and South Jersey:

• Urban fabric – Joseph’s House is a clean and recently renovated facility that is recognized by our guests and community as not just an overnight stop but a round-the-clock support base.

• 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.

• Social fabric – The community of Joseph’s House encompasses not only our guests and staff but also our service partners, volunteers, and donors. We have bonded to form a culture of inclusivity, friendship, and teamwork. Together we are transforming lives.

I want to thank everyone whose care, efforts and contributions – large and small – have championed Joseph’s House. With each thread of support, we have woven together a family that provides not only solace and security for our guests, but also solutions and pathways for our South Jersey community.

Sincerely,

Shawn Sheekey

2021 Financial Report

2021 Operating Statistics

2021 Officers and Board

Board Officers

• William M. Slaven, Chairman – Lockheed Martin, Research Engineering Manager, Bioenergy

• Edward F. Borden, Jr., Vice-Chairman – Earp Cohn, P.C., Attorney

• Kyle Johnson, Finance Chair – International Raw Materials, LTD, Business Development

• Rev. Michael McCue, OSFS, Secretary – Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Associate Pastor; De Sales Service Works, Director

Board Members

• Justin Capozzi – Brown Brothers Harriman & Company, Vice-President

• Pilar Hogan-Closkey – St. Joseph’s Carpenter Society, Executive Director

• Erin Hadden – Fischtank PR, Account Director

• Patrick Hurley, Development Committee Chairman – Mid-Market Capital Advisors, Managing Director

• Dominic Vallone, Facility Committee Chairman – Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Director of Operations, Retired

• John Klein – Joseph’s House of Camden, Development

• Rev. Robert McDermott, Board Member Emeritus – St. Joseph’s Pro-Cathedral, In Memoriam

Staff and Committees

Staff

• Dajana Chism-Lindsey

• Patricia Clark

• Braheem Coleman

• Brenda Colon

• Thomas Danao

• Honey DelVecchio

• Gina DiMarco

• Jazmine Gonzalez

• Liz Holmes

• John Klein

• Lashawnda Lewis

• Ernest ‘Radio’ Lindsay

• Darlene Lindsay

• Denise Mattia

• David Mayers

• Kevin Moran

• Carole Parker

• Rasheka Ramos

• Mary Rodriguez

• Jarenna Santiago

• Darryl Sewell

• Shawn Sheekey

• Misty Sparks

• Amy Sperling

• Eugene Tompkins

• Kimberly Turner

• Darnell Whye

Homelessness Snapshot

The homeless population is estimated each January through a process called the Point-In-Time count. Those results break down individuals in two categories: unsheltered and sheltered.

• Unsheltered people are those living on the street, and fortunately those numbers have been going down in recent years.

• Sheltered individuals and families are those staying in facilities like Joseph’s House or transitional housing.

For the more fortunate ones, experiencing homelessness is just a rough patch in their lives that they are able to move on from in a month or so. However, for someone who has been experiencing homelessness for more than a year, their condition is considered chronic.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) says the number of chronically homeless individuals staying in shelter programs has increased – up 20% between 2020 and 2021.

Complex and systemic causes of homelessness

• Health – Disability, chronic illness, mental illness and addiction

• Employment – Zero or insufficient income

• Housing – Displacement from domestic violence, racial inequalities, lack of affordable housing

Homeless population by age

In January 2020, 70 percent of people experiencing homelessness in America were individuals (the rest were families with children). Joseph’s House typically serves individuals who are above age 24. According to Forbes, that’s 89.7% of the homeless population.

• Age 24-50 – With the appropriate support, these individuals could rebuild their lives.

• Age 51-61 – Those experiencing homelessness at this age have a harder time finding the support they need to recover from dramatic life changes, such as unemployment, health costs, or divorce.

• Age 62+ – The rough living of homelessness makes it most difficult for people to experience old age.

Source

The Mission of Joseph’s House

To holistically and individually engage people experiencing homelessness in gaining stability and control of their lives.

To truly represent the fabric of South Jersey, Joseph’s House needs to remain strategically focused on our role to convert unsheltered people to sheltered and the sheltered to not homeless.

Outreach

Throughout a given year, we conduct outreach events to increase awareness of Joseph’s House in Camden and the South Jersey region. These events allow individuals and agencies to learn more about our services and partners.

In June 2021, a Service Fair gave people the opportunity to receive COVID-19 vaccines from the Camden County Health Department, a free breakfast from Cathedral Kitchen, clothing and personal care products, and to meet with onsite and visiting agencies that could assist them with current or ongoing challenges.

We were also honored to be called upon in October by Chancellor Antonio D. Tillis of Rutgers University – Camden to contribute our perspective on more comprehensive and diversified outreach in Camden through urban partnerships.

Talent

Having attracting talented and dedicated individuals to Joseph’s House in 2021, we are better positioned to achieve our goals. First, in June, we reinforced the Joseph’s House Board with the addition of Edward Borden and Erin Hadden as Board members. Then in September, the highly qualified and inspirational Gina DiMarco joined our staff as Director of Development.

• Ed is a former Camden County Prosecutor and has served on various charitable and civic boards.

• Erin is a veteran committee member and volunteer for Joseph’s House with a background in marketing and communications.

• Gina has taken on responsibility for including raising awareness and financial support from residents, regional businesses and local governments.

We’d also like to recognize a vital team of frontline employees: our Joseph’s House greeters and safety monitors. This diverse group focuses on meeting the individual needs of our guests while also ensuring a welcoming and safe environment for all of us. They come from a variety of experiences, educations, and backgrounds – former staff from the City of Camden, some with social service experience. Some are even former guests themselves.

Not to get ahead of ourselves, but we also want to share our excitement for adding in early 2022 Misty Sparks as the new Deputy Director for Joseph’s House. Misty has been advocating for those struggling with homelessness for more than 20 years. On the foundation of her natural grace for creating genuine connections with people, she will be overseeing various day and evening guest programs for Joseph’s House.

Strategic Planning

In October, the Board held a management session with consultant Jennifer Shropshire of Bestwork Industries. Our objectives were to identify challenges, develop best practices, and ensure the legacy of Joseph's House. Over subsequent months, the whole Joseph’s House community was engaged in the process, resulting in our recently released Strategic Plan 2022-2024. The plan, which incorporates both vision and practical steps toward growth and solvency, is to be our guiding framework for the next three years.

Health

Health Partners

• NJ Department of Health

• Camden County Department of Health and Human Services

• Project HOPE

• Rutgers School of Nursing

• Maryville Addiction Treatment Center

• Camden Area Health Education Center

Often disability, chronic illness, mental illness or addiction are the root cause of our guests’ homelessness. In these cases, our guests need to address these health issues in order to be ready for steady employment.

Our connections to healthcare providers allow our guests to find treatment and care.

Illness and preventive healthcare

In 2021, Joseph’s House continued our efforts to monitor our guests for COVID-19. Through the support of our service partners, we regularly tested staff and residents and hosted popup clinics for administering both initial vaccines and boosters.

Mental health

Breaking all stereotypes, our guest Kim, nicknamed “Doc” for the PhD she holds in English Literature, also earned three masters degrees and worked in higher education. Her first stay at Joseph’s House was about eight years ago after losing her husband to kidney failure. Her grief set her on a downward path, and it took some time for her to regain her independence.

Her return to us in 2021 was prompted by a bout of seasonal PTSD and alcoholism. With our support and connections to both social and health agencies, she re-acquired her ID and social security card, a cellphone, and food stamps. We also helped her schedule a few primary and specialist health care appointments she’d gotten behind on.

In practically no time, Doc was feeling like herself again and helping her fellow guests in their job searches. Today, she is living a healthy and independent life while serving others.

Addiction

We’re grateful to be able to connect our guests who struggle with addiction and recovery with peer counselors. Take Phil, for example. A recovered addict himself, Phil generously shares his experience, wisdom, and compassion with anyone facing similar struggles. But more than just relating with them, he assesses their individual situations and helps them decide on a realistic path forward.

When our guest Nelson walked in, severely injured from a brutal street attack, Phil sat with Nelson and challenged him to break his cycle of addiction. Nelson accepted Phil's challenge and agreed to be transported to the Maryville Addiction Treatment Center. Thank to Phil’s intervention, Nelson has completely transformed the trajectory of his life, even rekindling a relationship with his children.

WilfredO’s Story

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."

Employment

Employment Partners

• Salvation Army

• Clean Breeze

• PathStone

• Accustaffing

• Private Contractors

Steady employment is a requirement for our guests to receive housing support. To be employable, our guests need to be able to present one or more standard legal documents: birth certificate, social security card, or driver’s license. Maintaining access to those is not always easy for someone facing homelessness.

Our services help guests regain possession of these documents so they can get a job. We also provide lockers for guests to secure their possessions until they regain housing.

Job placement

Michael found himself at Joseph's House,  out of work and feeling the pressures of homelessness weighing heavy. As part of the Joseph's House Family, Michael knew he could rely on meals, a clean, safe place to rest, and help with resume building. He was determined to work towards the independence he knew he was capable of.

Owing to his gentle, generous spirit, Michael was referred by Joseph's House to the Salvation Army where he could serve as a bell ringer for the holiday season, earning a salary and gaining experience that would eventually help him land a job at Walmart. We are so proud to report that Michael has thrived! He has been living independently for almost two years, and while he no longer drops in for nightly dinner, he'll always be a much-loved part of the Joseph's House Family.

Housing

Housing Partners

• Center for Family Services: STAR Program

• Volunteers of America

• St. Joseph’s Carpenter Society

• Private Homeowner’s

• Eugene Realtor

It is a big decision for a person experiencing homelessness to turn to Joseph’s House for support during some of their darkest days. For the ones whose journeys bring them to the doorstep of a new home, the reward is tremendous.

It is a great blessing for all of us, those times we can celebrate the handing of house keys to one of our guests.

Placement support

Through the support of our partners at the St. Joseph's Carpenter Society, our own Joseph’s House Office Assistant Pat is purchasing a brand new house in East Camden. Pat was once without a home, a result of alcohol and drug addiction. Today she is often the first welcoming face that guests and visitors see when they enter Joseph’s House.

A Joseph’s House guest, Christine, had a similar experience. Paralyzed for six months following a severe car accident, far away from family and friends, she became addicted to pain medication. When she came to Joseph’s House, she used our support to regain her birth certificate and state ID, sought assistance from social service, and joined an addition recovery program. Through hard work and dedication, Christine gained a housing voucher for her first apartment through the Center for Family Services STAR Program. Christine now gives back to Joseph’s House by volunteering.

Donors

2020 Major Supporters

Leadership Donors: $2,500+

American Water $2,500.00 Organization

Mr. Lee Collison $2,990.49 Individual

Mr. Joseph Cosgrove $3,200.00 Individual

Ms. Kathleen D'Anastasio $2,750.00 Individual

Mr. John D'Anastasio & Ms. Danielle Rodier $2,500.00 Individual

Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation $2,500.00 Organization

Mr. & Mrs. Brooks Garrison $2,500.00 Individual

Mr. & Mrs. J. Craig Hadden $2,500.00 Individual

Ms. Anne Koval $2,500.00 Individual

Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Meli $2,500.00 Individual

Network for Good $3,822.32 Individual

People For The Poor $3,500.00 Organization

Mr. & Mrs. Ronald P. Sandmeyer, Jr. $2,500.00 Individual

Sandmeyer Steel Co. Foundation $2,500.00 Organization

Sisters of St. Joseph, Sr. Marie O'Hagan $2,500.00 Organization

Stewards: $5,000+

Ms. Roseann Andaloro $5,650.00 Individual

Anonymous $8,233.00 Individual

Brown & Connery, LLP $5,000.00 Organization

The Bryn Mawr Trust Company $5,000.00 Organization

Chronic Care Connection $5,560.99 Organization

Mr. Louis Colameco $5,000.00 Individual

Connelly Foundation $5,000.00 Organization

Diocese of Camden $5,000.00 Religious

Mr. & Mrs. Gerard Fasano $5,000.00 Individual

Mr. & Mrs. Eric Fischgrund $5,410.16 Individual

Mr. Scot Fisher $5,000.00 Individual

Holy Eucharist Parish, Cherry Hill, NJ $6,600.00 Organization

International Raw Materials Ltd. $5,025.50 Company

The Italian Open $4,500.00 Organization

Johnson & Johnson Matching Gifts Program $6,350.00 Organization

OceanFirst Foundation $5,000.00 Organization

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph C. O'Neill $8,500.00 Individual

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Pagano $5,050.00 Individual

Ms. Giovina Principe $5,100.00 Individual

St. Vincent De Paul Society Holy Angels Conference $4,800.00 Organization

Mr. & Mrs. James P. Steinitz $4,307.20 Individual

Mr. Peter Trentacoste $5,000.00 Individual

Mr. & Mrs. Dominic Vallone $6,500.00 Individual

WSFS Community Foundation $7,500.00 Organization

Founders: $10,000+

Camden County Treasurer's Office $344,620.20 Govt. Agency

Catholic Human Services Foundation $10,000.00 Foundation

Community Foundation of New Jersey $50,000.00 Organization

The David and Marilyn Krupnick Foundation $40,000.00 Foundation

David Tepper Charitable Foundation $25,000.00 Organization

Domenica Foundation $20,000.00 Foundation

FEMA - Camden County $50,000.00 Organization

FEMA - Gloucester County $45,125.00 Organization

Anonymous $40,000.00 Individual

Gloucester County $30,000.00 Organization

The Michael and Maryann Camardo Foundation $110,000.00 Foundation

MKM Foundation $25,000.00 Organization

Mr. and Mrs. William P. O'Neill, Jr. $21,569.30 Individual

The Philadelphia Foundation $20,000.00 Organization

Mr. & Mrs. Frank Robertson $11,000.00 Individual

Mr. Paul Rosenthal $10,690.60 Individual

Santander Bank, N.A. $10,000.00 Organization

The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia $22,500.00 Organization

Mr. & Mrs. William M. Slaven $11,400.00 Individual

South Jersey Charitable Foundation $15,000.00 Organization

State of New Jersey $758,293.67 Organization

Subaru of America Foundation $50,000.00 Organization

Mr. Gregory J. Webster $10,000.00 Individual

Work Zone Contractors $10,000.00 Organization

Volunteers

Volunteers are the lifeline for every non-profit organization, and we are tremendously grateful for those who choose to lend their time and talents to Joseph’s House.

In 2021, we implemented two preliminary activities for volunteers to ensure their time with us produces the highest obtainable results for Joseph’s House. For one, we began conducting informational sessions that help volunteers understand the reality of homelessness in South Jersey and the Joseph House strategy for countering the root causes of chronic homelessness.

Second, we began surveying volunteers to identify all of the talent and knowhow they can contribute. The more organized we are up front in aligning volunteer assignments with work that will produce the most fulfilling experience for each volunteer, the greater the value Joseph’s House will recoup during their time with us.

Our goal is to help volunteers create a genuine connection with our guests, staff, and mission, with the hope they will want to do more. This includes both extending their volunteer work and recruiting their external resources, which in turn helps to expand our support network.

Volunteer Spotlight: Joanne Vencius

Joanne joined the Joseph's House Family through Steve Holman of Holman Enterprises.  A professional marketing strategist, she has used her skills in communication and creative design to help us birth our first Annual Report!  She has since stayed on to help oversee Development projects and organizes local groups to join Joseph's House for volunteerism on Holman Days of Caring.  She is an incredible asset and a much-beloved member of our volunteer team.  Her feedback, charisma, and expertise are vital to our mission!

Students

Not many people can pull off a triple major at Rutgers University–Camden in economics, urban studies, and psychology, but for Nitan Shanas, it was a no-brainer. (He was also president of the Student Governing Association [SGA] at the time).

Nitan is dedicated to giving back to others who have not had the same fortunes as him. As a Rutgers–Camden Civic Scholar, he focuses on benefitting the city of Camden, working alongside other students who are just as passionate about social issues. Thus his support of Joseph’s House for the past few years, both as a volunteer and staff member. He has served as a night/morning greeter, and then as a service navigator, helping guests secure a host of social services.

Nitan also coordinated a homeless sleep-out at Rutgers to commemorate hunger and homelessness awareness week and bring awareness to Joseph’s House.

Professionals

Brown & Brown Insurance Company supports numerous charitable non-profit groups and other organizations nationwide. They adopted Joseph’s House as their ‘charity of choice’ in the month of April 2022 for both onsite and remote support.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, a team of five or six employee volunteers came to Joseph's House ready to tackle a slew of projects. They organized our pantry, restocked our clothing closet, cleared our break room, and cleaned our basement. Remotely, they also organized a company-wide supply drive that collected backpacks, sanitary products, sunscreen, deodorant, sunglasses, hats, shower shoes and so much more!

More than just giving their time, the team from Brown & Brown focuses on the Joseph’s House mission – understanding the underlying causes of homelessness and addiction. We are very grateful for their palpable care for our guests.

Likewise, Holman is a global automotive services company headquartered for 98 years in South Jersey. Part of its mission has always been to give back to the communities where their employees and customers live and work, and as such has been a staunch supporter of Joseph's House. For the past few years, they’ve included us as a volunteer worksite as part of the company’s annual Day of Caring campaign. Each year they assign a captain to check in with us and see what kind of work we need done around the facility. Then they recruit volunteers from their workforce with the skills to help us get those things done. This has included grounds keeping, sorting and organizing clothing and donations, basic repairs and upkeep, and engaging with our guests.

Holman is also always quick to post our outreach requests on their company intranet. In 2020, they shared a link to our “help wanted” post. The Philadelphia Foundation’s Key Skills Hub connects volunteers to agencies in need of their professional skills, and vice versa. A writer on the Holman Marketing team, Joanne, raised her hand and has been supporting Joseph’s House ever since by heading our Annual Report Subcommittee and contributing as a Development Committee member.

Corporate support like this by companies whose cultures prioritize community responsibility is a great and valuable resource for Joseph’s House.

Church organizations

The Men's Club of St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Collingswood has embraced Joseph's House through their objective to foster Christian fellowship and a sense of community. On Friday mornings, you’ll often see their volunteer group cooking and serving breakfast for our guests before they themselves head to work. In addition, the Men’s Club not only sponsors our annual Walk to End Homelessness fundraiser, but also a few volunteers have joined our subcommittee to ensure the event is a success. These men come from all different professional backgrounds with the singular mission of using their time and talents to help those in need, and we are overjoyed to count them as part of our family.

Fundraising

Our fundraising events in 2021 provided much needed monetary support, increased awareness of our mission in Camden and the South Jersey region, and promoted comradery between the communities and our staff, volunteers, and service partners.

5K Walk

We held our second annual 5K walk event on a beautiful Saturday morning at Cooper River Park and raised nearly $28,000:

• Sponsorships.............................................. $14,795

• Ticket Sales/Donations................................ $11,568

• Registration (on site)....................................... $755

• Eagles Raffle.................................................... $530

• 50/50 Raffle.................................................... $295

• Total Income.............................................. $27,943

Save the Date: Our third annual 5K walk/run event will happen on September 24, 2022. Based on previous success, we’ve upped the fundraising goal to $50K!

Concerts

Mark Oberstaedt, a member of Holy Eucharist Parish, Cherry Hill, and Henry Gosik, a member of the Catholic Community of Christ our Light Parish, Cherry Hill, organized two musical events through Raising Dignity, both hosted at The Marian House, Cherry Hill. The combined fundraising total was more than $5,000.

• A Cabaret Night featuring Broadway and other classic music

• A Big Band Extravaganza of holiday music performed by more than 20 musicians

Annual Appeal

Our efforts to make the most of #GivingTuesday raised over $6,000 towards our Annual Appeal. In total, this campaign raised more than $200,000 from 263 donors in amounts that ranged from $10 to $10,000.

JH Endowment

Our Board recognized the need to ensure the legacy of Joseph's House long into the future. Towards those ends, the Board voted to establish an endowment. An endowment is a pool of money set aside by an institution for investment. The purpose of the investment is to grow donations to support either specific programs or the operations of that institution to ensure its vitality and financial stability. To learn more about our endowment or to make a donation, please reach out to us!

Foundations

Joseph's House considers itself blessed to have had the support of many generous foundations, especially through the challenges of 2021.  While we cannot list them all, we wanted to highlight a few to give our supporters an opportunity to see how the greater community is invested in the success of our mission and how vital that support is to helping us end homelessness in South Jersey.

Domenica Foundation has the distinction of being with Joseph's House since the very beginning.  Always an active supporter of our mission, they donated $20,000 to help us as we navigated a post-COVID world.  With the price of everything skyrocketing, being able to rely on their steadfast support and genuine friendship is impossible to articulate.  We are and continue to be forever grateful to our friends there.
The Connelly Foundation, also, has been a good friend to Joseph's House since our early years.  Thanks to their generosity, we were able to provide a very special New Year's Eve for our guests that brought out Cathedral Kitchen to create a feast that was served by our employees and volunteers.  The festivity and joy was contagious that night!
Looking forward, the Holman Foundation approved a grant of $300,000 in 2021 that spans the next three years!  This grant serves to ensure guest access to an on-site, full-time social worker who specializes in mental health, a vital role that has already proven key to ensuring we are providing the best level of care we can to those who come to us in need.