“A Way Home”

Joseph’s House of Camden - Strategic Plan 2025-2027

OVERVIEW

“A Way Home” is a purposeful strategy for the future of Joseph’s House of Camden. It comes from a place of genuine compassion, and has been informed by a track record of success, lived experiences, and multiple perspectives. It is both measured and bold.

 This strategy recognizes that having a home is essential to every person’s stability. It leverages the unique role that Joseph’s House plays as a low-barrier shelter that continues to be highly valued for the quality of its programs and services.

 Intentions to be bold (after due diligence and tests for feasibility) spring from heightened concern for recurring guests who are caught in a cycle of instability. Plans consider the prolonged lack of affordable housing in Camden County and surrounding communities. This is a crisis affecting not only people experiencing addiction or mental illness, but also people who have become unhoused or unsheltered due to other kinds of catastrophic disruptions to their life.

Over the past few years, Joseph’s House has benefited from the engagement of new staff leadership and an expanded board. They have been devoted to building the capacity needed to take on new challenges, strengthening a collaborative culture, and putting systems in place to support continued growth.

During the planning process, Joseph’s House sharpened the mission and vision statements. Also to move forward effectively given today’s issues and opportunities, this plan presents refinements to major initiatives within the three goals that have been carried forward from the 2022-2024 Strategic Plan.   

BEYOND SHELTER

  • Expanding operations to provide services 24/7, reaching into the streets to connect more people to resources, and making stronger connections to post-shelter housing

COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS

  • Strengthening working relationships, focusing board energies, and embracing equitable practices

GREATER INVESTMENT

  • Generating greater resources by reaching out to new communities in new ways and creating more opportunities for engagement.

Guiding Principles

OUR MISSION

To offer solutions for people experiencing homelessness to gain stability and control of their lives.

OUR VISION FOR SOCIETY

No neighbor is without shelter.

OUR VISION FOR JOSEPH’S HOUSE

A sustainable organization that:

  • Recommits its pledge that no one should have to sleep outside

  • Builds greater capacity for guests to navigate out of homelessness

  • Collaborates to reduce chronic homelessness

  • Fosters a healthy and equitable environment for all

OUR CORE VALUES

SAFE HAVEN 

  • We insist that our space is safe and puts people at ease.

EMPATHY       

  • We believe in the humanity of all people. Compassion for those who are vulnerable or marginalized compels our charity and advocacy.

HOSPITALITY  

  • We meet each person with a friendly reception eager to extend a welcoming community that is rich with fellowship.

RESPECT         

  • We accept people for who they are, without judgment, supporting their choices by offering opportunities for them to grow and thrive.

PRAGMATISM

  • We acknowledge the need to be practical, patient, and flexible in refuting injustices and contending with complexities.

STEWARDSHIP           

  • We hold a responsibility to build a strong organization that honors clear communication and honest relationships, and that operates with integrity.

Strategies

Goal 1: Beyond Shelter

Joseph’s House is taking steps to be more effective in advancing its mission. Expanding operations to be 24/7 is a top priority and will have a significant and direct impact on current guests, upending practices that unintentionally can perpetuate instabilities. Being a more visible advocate and networker will increase agency coordination and amplify both issues and solutions.

Operating 24/7 also forms a platform for advancing initiatives in other areas, including behavioral health services, employment, and post-shelter housing. Increased outreach activities will coax more people off the streets and onto healthier pathways.

Beyond Shelter Objectives & Initiatives

Goal 2: Collaborative Relationships

Joseph’s House is taking steps to strengthen working relationships. Greater transparency, clarity of roles, and consistent communication will foster a stronger sense of agency and shared responsibility. Refined processes will help staff members feel better equipped to navigate the stressful and often unpredictable shelter environment.

Increased investment in management and all-staff professional development and skill building will support staff members in feeling appreciated and valued. Informed by a deeper understanding of issues and emerging trends, board member energies will be directed toward strategy, financial sustainability, and ambassadorship.

GOAL 3: GREATER INVESTMENT

Joseph’s House is taking steps to engage new communities in new ways. Although it is well-regarded by loyal partners, donors/funders and volunteers, there still is potential for greater visibility and a larger base of supporters. To ensure ongoing financial sustainability, Joseph’s House must anticipate and respond to variable funding from all sources.

Enlisting more people in sharing Joseph House’s story, promoting the value of its activities, and championing future plans will raise awareness and attract new friends and resources. More targeted communications and stewardship will deepen existing connections and spark greater investment in reaching intended outcomes.    

implementing the Strategic Plan

STRATEGIC AGENDAS

The strategic plan is not simply an agenda item at board and committee meetings. It will drive meeting agendas, and is paramount to the development of staff work plans.

MEASURING PROGRESS

Staff members track detailed data relevant to the particular aspect of their work. At a strategic level, there are a handful of domains within which progress in advancing the plan will be assessed. This includes:

  • Guest experience and outcomes

  • Staff satisfaction and engagement

  • Donor/funder retention and growth

  • Volunteer experience and engagement

  • Financial health

NEW POSSIBILITIES

Some initiatives outlined in the plan are contingent upon having the financial and human resources for planning and execution. In addition, there are ideas for ambitious directions that might be pursued after extensive due diligence to understand the full breadth, feasibility, and timing of each direction.

ANNUAL REFLECTION & PRIORITY SETTING

The strategic plan is designed to be utilized as both an important anchor and as a flexible tool for directing and re-directing energies where needed.

An annual review of the plan in light of fresh reflection on the internal and external landscapes of Joseph’s House will inform refreshed priorities. When the third year of the plan nears, Joseph’s House will determine if it is best to refine the existing plan or embark upon a new planning process.

AN INVITATION TO JOIN THE JOURNEY

This strategic plan is made public in order to invite widespread engagement in advancing the plan.

Corporate Address:

20 Church Street

Camden, NJ 08105

Shelter Address:

555 Atlantic Avenue

Camden, NJ 08104