Dear Friends,

If you have been to a home goods store lately, you know it is that time of year: dorm shopping season! The aisles are filled with parents and teens carefully choosing the essentials that will make that small room feel more like home.

Long before dorm shopping season starts, CAMBA is working to prepare New York youth for the rigors of college. Our college access programs were created nearly 15 years ago in response to needs expressed in the communities we serve. Parents were telling us they dreamt of their children going to college, but lacked the information and experience needed to best support their children in making college a realistic goal.

CAMBA now fills that gap. And we know that these programs are more relevant than ever. According to a new survey by Lumina Foundation and Gallup, even though parents are worried about the cost of college, 74% want their children to pursue postsecondary education directly after high school. Why? Because even in an uncertain economy and a challenging early career landscape, education translates into opportunity and higher paychecks. Our college access programs also offer New York City youth the chance to learn the skills we know employers want: how to communicate, how to collaborate, and how to create.

Keep scrolling to see how we turn your dollars into impact that addresses college readiness, consumer protection, and disease and infection protection.

With gratitude,

In 2012, in response to a need expressed by parents in the communities CAMBA served, CAMBA launched a pilot program at our Beacon Community Center at P.S. 361. Collegiate Express was designed to help at-risk public school youth in grades 9-12 reach and succeed in postsecondary education. The program, now known at CAMBA College Bound, is now offered at 11 locations, and prepares students for a range of postsecondary education options — not just for two and four-year institutions, but also advanced technical education and more.

CAMBA College Bound students share a dream: to become the first in their families to go to college. The program has grown significantly since starting with a cohort of 35 students. In the 2025-26 school year, 419 youth participated in CAMBA College Bound.

Our staff provide individualized college access programming to middle and high school students, as well as hands-on support for program alumni currently enrolled in college and parents of prospective college students. Students and their families have access to college campus tours,college fairs, and other special events and received assistance with goal setting, academic preparation, college selection, applications, scholarships, FAFSA/financial aid filing, and enrollment.

In the past year, 90 percent of seniors in CAMBA College Bound graduated high school on time. Sixty percent applied to college or technical/vocational college. An additional 11 percent gained full-time employment or enlisted in the military. Another important marker of CAMBA College Bound’s success: students in the class of 2026 were awarded $600,682 in scholarship funding!

We are working to meet parent and student demand. For example, we have had multiple requests from families to take middle school students on a college trip. Due to budget considerations, we have not been able to meet their request, but we are helping facilitate virtual tours. We believe this interest is another sign of CAMBA College Bound’s success. Today, it is not just parents who want college for their children. Starting a very young age, it is the students themselves striving to meet this goal.

CAMBA Legal Services Team: Setting an Example for Consumer Advocates Nationwide

The IOLA Fund of the State of New York, which provides financial support to civil legal service organizations, highlighted how CAMBA’s legal team helped one resident address unfair medical charges. Here’s what happened:

Ms. J was facing a 29.99% interest rate on a payoff plan for dental work even though her provider promised several times she would not have to pay interest. Ms. J also later discovered the provider forged her signature on the service contract.

CAMBA intervened, drafting a complaint alleging violation of the Truth in Lending Act.

The case currently is in litigation, but CAMBA’s strategy already has helped other consumer advocates around the country. Our legal services team shared Ms. J’s story and its strategy to help on a national call of consumer advocates — many of whom had heard similar stories from consumers, but did not know how to tackle the issue. CAMBA’s work with Ms. J provided a roadmap. As the IOLA Fund said, this case “highlights how the work on a single individual action can have broad impact and give other providers a roadmap to help consumers.”

RACDG New York Chapter Golfs for Good!

We are grateful to the Royal and Ancient Company of Dishonorable Golfers (RACDG) – New York City Metro Chapter for supporting CAMBA! Golfers teed off at Marine Park Golf Course a few weeks ago, swinging clubs and raising funds for CAMBA's HIV/Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Prevention programs.

This is the second year in a row, RACDG’s New York City Chapter has supported CAMBA.

RACDG is a global golf society for people who take their on course game seriously and their off course game … somewhat less so. Divided into geographic chapters, each chapter is semi-autonomous and arranges its own meetings and competitions, with their own thriving social scenes and casual knocks.

CAMBA provides prevention services for people living with HIV/AIDS and populations at risk of HIV transmission. In Brooklyn, these services are especially critical as the number of new HIV cases continues to increase and remains the highest of all NYC boroughs. CAMBA’s services include evidence-based interventions that target women, prevention services for young gay men/young men who have sex with men, and food and nutrition services for people living with HIV/AIDS and their minor children.

CAMBA works with several partnering agencies to refer clients for HIV/STI testing, and offers a culturally inclusive diabetes prevention program and overdose prevention services for those struggling with opioid addiction. Learn more here.

Save the Date for CAMBA Night Out!

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026 is CAMBA Night Out, our premier annual fundraiser. This year’s theme, Affordability and Stability, celebrates CAMBA and CHV’s holistic ecosystem of care — providing a vital lifeline and resources to thrive for thousands of New Yorkers.

Share OUR Impact on Social Media

CAMBA uses social media to tell the world about YOUR incredible work. Sharing (on social) is caring. If you have not already, please join CAMBA’s thousands of followers on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter/X, and Facebook so more New Yorkers can find out about CAMBA’s services. Your voice matters!