Respond I n c o r p o r a t e d Established 1967

Respond, Inc. is a voluntary, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) agency created by the community to enhance and promote the economic independence and general welfare of individuals and families residing in Camden City and County by providing comprehensive services in child care, senior and homeless day centers, housing, youth services, employment and related programs which help people help themselves.

For the last 35 years, Respond, Inc. has carried out a central mission to help North Camden and the other communities it serves bring about improved levels of economic independence and sound community development. The aim has been to make a difference in our society. In our attempt to meet the needs of individuals and families, diversity and flexibility have driven management, staff and board members to develop programs that go beyond the plan developed in 1967…

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RESPOND SERVES IN MANY WAYS…

     Enabling people to be healthy, productive members of our community is the goal of everything we do at Respond. Our programs aim at helping people to help themselves. We understand that most people want to lead useful, productive lives that benefit themselves and our community. They don’t want handouts; they want the chance to earn their own way. We believe that even the most needy people can succeed if supportive services to back them up are deeply rooted in, and grow out of, our community.

All our activities at Respond are guided by one conviction:

If we provide individuals and families with basic services and opportunities, they will grow to lead more productive lives.

Consistent with this principle, we believe that:
• People need good basic housing that they can afford. They need quality care for their children while they are at work or at school.
• People facing homelessness need a place to go where they can get basic life necessities and help in regaining control of their lives.
• Children need quality care while their parents are at work or in school.
• Our youth need opportunities to put their energy and talent to use in worthwhile ways.
• Older people need opportunities to be involved in meaningful activities and to share the friendship of others.

Our beliefs…

Respond programs and services annually:
• Provide community-based jobs for more than 200 working adults. This number increases to over 300 in the summer months;
• Provide 700 families with childcare, enabling parents to work or to train for employment;

Our beliefs…

• Support the work effort of parents enabling them to generate more than $ 15,500,000 in family income, contributing to the local economy;
• Provide services to 400+ senior citizens, helping to prevent institutionalization;
• Employ more than a dozen seniors between the ages of 60 and 90;
• Administer a Summer Career Exploration Program in the private sector for high school students;

Our beliefs…

• Develop a Teen Volunteer Corps for young people too old for camp and not old enough to work in the Career Exploration Program
• Hire college students for summer employment;
• Provide a program where high school students assist the elderly in their homes after school and in the summer with CHORE services;
• Provide childcare for more than 180 infants and toddlers from as young as two weeks of age to two and a half years;
• Provide childcare for more than six hundred 3 & 4 year old preschool children in classrooms operated for the Camden City BOE Abbott District;

Our beliefs…

• Provide a year-round school-age child care program, with a summer cultural enrichment camp;
• Offer individualized programs and transitional housing for the homeless;
• Encourage staff members to move up through the ranks with a program of tuition reimbursement, CDA certification and other training programs;
• Provide an adult day center where community elders can be safe, participate in activities and socialize with their peers;

Our beliefs…

• Provide transitional and permanent housing, encouraging home ownership;
• Provide volunteer sites for local college students, and student intern placements;
• Operate an employability training program to assist persons on welfare in becoming employed and staying on the job;
• Provide an opportunity to participate in intergenerational programs for children and senior citizens.
• Help to operate the Camden Earned Income Tax Credit Campaign as part of a financial literacy partnership in the city;

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You can email us at respond1@bellatlantic.net.




Wilbert Mitchell - Executive Director Cynthia Bagwell - President, Board of Directors Nancy Williams - Business Manager Judith Everts - Adult Services Gloria Mitchell - Youth Services