Earlier this month, we had a pop-up visit at our Camden headquarters from a very special guest! Desmond Riley is a Hopeworks alumni from the early 2000’s where we started in a small row home in North Camden.
Desmond just happened to be walking down Market Street when he saw our sign on the window of our new location and decided to walk in. He was greeted by our staff and given a tour where he was blown away by the growth of the program since he was last involved.
”I can’t believe this program is still around! I was just walking by and saw the sign on the window, so I decided to check it out.”
During the tour, he was further surprised to see his picture hanging on the wall along with hundreds of others that have been collected over the years. We were ecstatic to learn that Desmond currently has a successful career in the healthcare field, has recently started a family, and is living life to the fullest.
Moments like these speak for themselves. Being able to see the visual transformation from a trainee over 10 years ago to a Hopeworks alumni and family man with a very successful career.
This is why we do what we do.
The nonprofit provides paid training, career support and real work to help 17- to-26-year-olds move into full-time jobs averaging $43K a year. In a bright room at Hopeworks Kensington, young adults sit at computers learning to code, build websites and prepare for careers many once thought were out of reach. Some come in unsure of […]
The Rutgers Camden Campus Center was transformed into a high-energy hub of professional development last week as Hopeworks hosted its third annual HOPE Summit. Headlined by Truist Bank, the event served as a critical bridge between young adults in the region and some of the most influential employers in the Greater Philadelphia area. The summit is a cornerstone of […]
Headlined by Truist Bank, the event removed access barriers to career readiness, connecting Camden, NJ – March 16, 2026 – On Thursday, March 12, Hopeworks, a social enterprise dedicated toempowering young adults to establish living wage careers, hosted its third annual HOPE Summit at theRutgers Camden Campus Center. Headlined by sponsor Truist Bank, the summit […]
