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Camden County Covenant for Children, Youth and Families Hosts Event

Camden County Covenant for Children, Youth and Families hosts event to launch Super Summer Directory and acknowledge grant winners
 
Camden County Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez and CamdenMayor Dana Redd spoke at event at Boys and Girls Club of Camden East Camden Clubhouse

 
Camden County Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez and Camden Mayor Dana Redd were keynote speakers on Tuesday at the Camden County Covenant for Children, Youth and Families event at the East Camden Clubhouse of the Camden Boys and Girls Club. The mission of the Covenant, created by the Freeholder Board and administered by the Community Planning and Advocacy Council (CPAC) is to “mobilize the greater Camden County community to advance child, youth and family wellbeing through planned and intentional collaboration and concrete actions and outcomes.

" The Covenant has brought many community-based non-profits together to work on problems faced by families, youth and children throughout the county, which ranks 17 out of 20 counties in the state for child welfare. “

Two years ago, Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. and I looked at those child welfare statistics, determined that they were unacceptable and decided something had to be done,” said Freeholder Rodriguez. “We decided to reach out to the community to help us help our children, who are our future. Since then, I have personally signed up hundreds of Camden County residents to join the Covenant and been involved in its development. As the mother of four, I know how important this kind of support is.”

CPAC’s president and CEO, Cathy DeCheser helped shape the initiative, working with Deputy County Administrator Cathy Gavin and the Department of Children’s Services. Consultant Tom Blatner, who had done such a program with Mayor Corey Booker in Newark, was brought in to help with the Camden initiative.

The Covenant has come together, under a Bill of Rights crafted by the families it’s intended to serve, to promote and support programs for parents, teen fathers, children and a range of others through groups out there doing the work. It was fitting to have the event at the Boys and Girls Club of Camden, where Executive Director Milton Liss helps create a host of activities for the city’s children.

Mayor Redd, who arrived after having worked all morning with a group of Camden fathers to clean up city streets, thanked Freeholder Rodriguez for her “efforts to help the most vulnerable among us,” and formally signed on to the Covenant she has supported from the beginning.

“This city made me who and what I am today,” she declared “I was raised from the age of 8 by my grandparents, who taught me the importance of education and to respect and help my neighbors and the community. The Covenant believes in empowering families and making children and youths succeed.”

The 2010 Super Summer Directory is filled with safe, healthy, constructive activities for children and is available at the county stores and at many other locations throughout the county.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW A SLIDESHOW OF THE EVENT