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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 Creates G-STEP Youth Employment Program,
Asks Businesses In Region To Join Partnership
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One challenge Gateway Community Action Partnership is currently taking on in our region is finding summer employment for our young people. Gateway has established the Gateway Summer Training and Employment Program (G-STEP) to create meaningful employment opportunities for our youth. Gateway will hold job fairs, provide job and life skills training, help seek employment, and hire approximately 40 of the youth ourselves.
Gateway is also enlisting the support of our business leaders for G-STEP. Gateway held a G-STEP Business Recruitment Breakfast at Cumberland County College on March 29. Gateway shared its plans with business leaders and asked them to consider hiring youth this summer. Gateway extended invitations to the business leaders to attend our job fairs, to be held in late April, and to utilize our job readiness as a resource or perhaps participate in our job readiness workshops. Gateway also welcomed input from the business leaders and they were happy to share their expertise.
Albert B. Kelly, Gateway's President and CEO, said youth employment experiences often provide the groundwork for future success.
"Everybody remembers their first job," Kelly said. "Mine was at Fisher's Market in downtown Bridgeton. I learned to be punctual. How to take supervision from somebody. Mr. Fisher's positive influence on me is something that stayed with me the rest of my life.
"Your first job is something that is very important. It teaches you things you will remember the rest of your life. It teaches you skills you cannot learn in a book. We need to help our young people take that first step. We can be part of the answer to the problems we are facing in this community."
Numerous studies list the benefits summer employment have on our youth. A Stanford scholar found that in his study, a summer job can help boost academic performance in the classroom. Another study in Chicago claimed that summer youth employment was tied to a significant decrease in violent crime. And yet another study of a youth employment program in New York City said that youth who participated were less likely to be incarcerated and that the program literally saved lives.
Edward Bethea, Gateway's Executive Vice President and COO, said that 2017 is Gateway's 30
th anniversary as a community action agency and we are celebrating it in a number of ways. He said our G-STEP initiative is one of them. He also said that Gateway was eager to partner with the business community to benefit of our youth.
"We hope this is the beginning of a wonderful relationship," Bethea said. "If you hire one person, just think of the impact you can have. Just like Mr. Kelly talked about the Fishers and the impact they had upon his life. I have stories like that as well. I'm sure everybody in this room remembers that first person who provided them with mentorship that impacted their lives. Those are the kinds of things we want to do."
For more information about our G-STEP initiative, please call (856) 497-6652 or contact us by e-mail at
[email protected].
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Ventnor Head Start Helps Homeless Family Obtain Housing And Essential Services
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Rosalinda's mother died of cancer last summer. And naturally that was sad enough. But her mother was the foundation of the stability of Rosalinda and her three children in terms of housing. So not long after her mother passed away, the eviction notices started to arrive. Then came homelessness for Rosalinda and the three children ages 15, 9, and 3.
"It was the worst time of our lives," Rosalinda said.
At one point during Rosalinda's frightening ordeal, Gateway's Ventnor Head Start Center stepped in and began fighting for the family, including Lizabeth, one of the children at the center and Rosalinda's daughter. Site Director Tara Kennelly and her staf
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From left: Kaitlyn, Lizabeth and Rosalinda.
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f established priorities for the family and set goals.
Ventnor Head Start began putting the pieces back together for the family. Rosalinda pursued rental assistance and sought other social services. They arranged for temporary shelter at the Atlantic City Rescue Mission so the family could stay together. The center worked with the public schools to get transportation for the children. The center also made Rosalinda's family the recipients of their Adopt A Family program over the holiday season last December, and that resulted in the family getting clothing, health essentials, educational toys and a television. One of the staff members arranged formore donations from her church.
Finally, through the efforts of the Ventnor Head Start center and Rosalinda's persistence, Rosalinda and the family have the stability of a home in an apartment in Atlantic City and furniture provided through the Temporary Rental Assistance program.
She is one of the many success stories that are the product of Gateway's Head Start program and caring staff.
"The compassion of the staff at the Ventnor Head Start represent the best of Gateway," said Bonnie Eggenburg, Gateway's Vice President of Head Start and Early Head Start. "I continue to be impressed with their commitment and dedication."
Kennelly also has been working with Rosalinda on career goals and is encouraging her to start education and training to become a nurse.
"Gateway has gone above and beyond to make sure Lizabeth was able to continue in her early education," Rosalinda said. "Tara and (Family Advocate) Diane Toscano have continued to give me referrals and encouragement that everything will be OK. There are still a lot of obstacles I have to cross, but because of Head Start I have a starting point. The staff keeps in contact and follows up on my progress."
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Smedley & Lis Observed International Women's Day By Volunteering At Gateway
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Smedley & Lis law firm employees volunteered at Gateway's Mill Creek Urban Farm as part of International Women's Day.
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On Wednesday March 8, 2017, International Women's Day was celebrated all around the world. International Women's Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women around the world. Smedley & Lis, a female owned and operated law firm specializing in the practice of family law, decided to close its offices
in honor and observance of International Women's Day. Employees and friends of the law firm spent the day volunteering at Gateway's
Mill Creek Urban Farm
as a way of supporting the movement "A Day Without A Woman." A Day Without A Woman encouraged women to refrain from working or spending money in an effort to encourage women around the world to stand together for equality, justice and human rights.
Kristin M. Lis, Esq., partner at Smedley & Lis law firm, accompanied by other female employees and volunteers, decided to use International Women's Day as a day to give back to those in the community. When asked why volunteering on International Women's Day was important to Smedley & Lis, Lis stated:
"I told my staff the idea of being able to afford to take a day off to take a stand is a matter of privilege. I am privileged to be able to offer my staff the day off to give back to our community. Rather than sitting home, we are out digging our hands in the dirt, pulling weeds, helping out at the farm and giving back." Both International Women's Day and A Day Without A Woman marked a call for action. Smedley & Lis took the term #BeBoldForChange as their call to action, and used the day as a way to take a stand and make a change in their community.
Strong believers in both advocacy and action, Smedley & Lis decided to not only think globally, but to act locally. Supporters of the mission of Gateway CAP, Smedley & Lis decided that helping to make our local communities better was the best way to #BeBoldForChange. When asked why the firm choose Gateway Community Action Partnership as their volunteer site, Lis stated "The mission of Gateway really resonated with my partner and I, AllynMarie Smedley, and that's why we wanted to close our doors and give back today to our community and to an organization that really gives to the community on a daily basis." Kristin Lis, Esq. and her partner AllynMarie Smedley, Esq. pride themselves on specializing in Family Law including issues of family practice, divorce, emancipation, adoption, child custody and child support. "In general, we want to stand up for people's rights and want people to be aware of their legal rights" Lis said. AllynMarie Smedley, founding partner of Smedley and Lis, sits on the Board of Directors for Gateway Community Action Partnership, contributing to her commitment of impacting the community through action.
Those who volunteered with Smedley & Lis wore red to support "A Day Without A Woman." By wearing red, women who participated in the movement showed a sign of "solidarity, revolutionary love and sacrifice." Each red shirt worn by the Smedley & Lis volunteers had the saying "nevertheless, she persisted" across the front. The quote originated from a speech delivered by Elizabeth Warren, Senator from Massachusetts, which included a letter drafted by Coretta Scott King. Warren attempted to read this speech during Jeff Sessions confirmation hearing for Attorney General of the United States. Elizabeth Warren was silenced during her speech. She was warned, asked to stop, and was then forced down off the podium. Despite this happening, "nevertheless she persisted." One of the volunteers, Allison, described the phrase "nevertheless she persisted" as meaning: "Never give up. Don't ever let someone tell you because you are a woman you are anything. You are a woman, you can persist, you can keep going." "Nevertheless she persisted, nevertheless we will persist," Lis added.
Gateway Community Action Partnership recognized International Women's Day (IWD) by acknowledging all of the female employees who help support the mission of Gateway Community Action Partnership "to provide services that improve the quality of life and promote self-sufficiency" of low and moderate income individuals in our communities. Here at Gateway, 684 women makeup over 90% of those employed with the agency. On the leadership level, 17 out of 22 (or 77%) employees on the Leadership Executive Team are women. Executive VP/COO Ed Bethea recognized all the women who work for Gateway in an email he sent to everyone throughout the agency. In the email he stated "Gateway would simply not be the premier Community Action Agency in the State of New Jersey without you (women). Congratulations to all 684 of you!
#IWD2017 #BeBoldForChange
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AllRisk Senior Management Visits Gateway And Tours Mill Creek Urban Farm
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Senior Management of AllRisk Property Damage Restoration visited Gateway and its Mill Creek Urban Farm in March. AllRisk is a friend of Gateway and supporter of its mission "to provide services that improve the quality of life and promote self sufficiency." Top photo, from left: Edward Bethea, Gateway's Executive VP and COO; Christine Messina, AllRisk Vice President; Frank Messina, AllRisk Founder and CEO, and Marcus Weaver, Gateway's Director of Agriculture and Food Initiatives.
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Gateway Celebrates Dr. Seuss's Birthday With Reading Activities
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Spring Planting At Hightstown Head Start And Mill Creek Urban Farm
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The children at Hightstown Head Start Center had fun planting and learning about seeds. Carlos Avila from the MCCYC program introduced the children to the steps in planting seeds.
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The Mill Creek Urban Farm welcomed 21 students from Friends School Mullica Hill. The students seeded and planted seedlings. The students experienced a hands-on learning experience about hydroponic growing.
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Gateway Hamilton I Head Start's Many Activities Include A Snow Day
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The children at Gateway's Hamilton I Head Start Center had fun in the snow. The children made a small snow man and named him George.
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Some other Hamilton I activities: Derby Car Contest, a talent show, and a multi-cultural celebration,
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Picture Day And Breakfast For Children At Lawrence/Ewing Head Start
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Children at Gateway's Ewing/Lawrence Head Start Center eating breakfast and getting ready for Picture Day in their best outfits!
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Vineland III Head Start Students Learning About Volcanoes
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Vineland III Head Start students are learning about volcanoes in this science experiment.
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Bessie The Therapy Dog Visits Children At Hightstown Head Start
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The Hightstown Head Start Center had a very special visitor, "Bessie" the therapy dog! Bessie and her owner read a book to the children about how to take care of the dogs and "Bessie" did a couple of tricks for the children.
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2017 Gateway Golf Classic On May 18 At Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club
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Gateway Golf Classic
May 18, 2017
Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club
For more information on registration and sponsorships, call 856-497-6652 or e-mail [email protected].
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A Warm Welcome To Gateway Community Action Partnership's Newest Employees
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Welcome To Gateway CAP's New Hires!
Gabriela Chavez-Perez, Early Head Start/Cheryl Chadwick ELC
Anie Hill, Early Head Start
Latisha Fair, LIHEAP
Karen Davis, Early Head Start
Balbina Romero, Early Head Start/Cheryl Chadwick ELC
Gabrielle Dooley, Early Head Start
Jessenia Cintron, LIHEAP
Lisa Comer-Solomon, LIHEAP
Romone Williams, Early Head Start
Lena Todd, Head Start
Jessica Fleming, Head Start
Samantha Cocove, Mill Creek Urban Farm
Jose Echegoyen, Head Start
Alexandra Echegoyen-Quinones, Head Start
Yudy Diaz, Head Start
Marie Laurent, Head Start
Damaris Caraballo, Head Start
Zahra Alhelo, Head Start
Migdalia Ruiz, Head Start
DayQuan Rainner, Mill Creek Urban Farm
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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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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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Sincerely,
Michael Cudemo
Gateway Community Action Partnership
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