As a kid growing up in North Philadelphia, Aniage Brown always dreamed of a career where he could help people. “I wanted to be a firefighter,” says Brown, now 26. “But telling that to your parents in Philadelphia? It definitely freaks them out.”
Brown graduated from One Bright Ray Community High School, then found himself in a series of dead-end jobs at companies like Burlington Coat Factory and Amazon. Every day, he’d wake up wanting to call in sick. “I reached a point when I was 21 where I realized that I couldn’t keep doing jobs like this for the rest of my life,” he says.
That’s when his brother encouraged him to go to Hopeworks, the Camden-based nonprofit that trains folks for careers in fields with a demand for employees, and then matches them with jobs. The organization, which is celebrating 25 years in 2025 and recently opened a new, 4,000-square foot facility in Kensington, first put itself on the regional workforce development map with tech programs, offering training in 21st-century skills like website development, drone services and more.
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Helping disadvantaged young adults in the U.S. to overcome barriers to economic opportunity and secured sustained long-term employment Hopeworks was founded in New Jersey in 1999 to help young adults overcome barriers to economic opportunity and build sustainable futures. Most participants do not have college degrees, and 99% of them are unemployed when they join […]
$1.2M Commitment from The Hg Foundation Enables Hopeworks’ Expansion into Two New Cities The Hg Foundation, a grant-giving charity focused on improving tech education and skills, today announced a new $1.2 million partnership with Hopeworks, a U.S. social enterprise that supports young adults into long-term living wage careers. The partnership will enable Hopeworks to expand its […]
Check out our Camden office full of energy, creativity, and hustle at our Pop-Up Shop Lunch Event! Our incredible young adults showcased and sold their original art, handmade jewelry, delicious food desserts, and so much more. From eye-catching booths to mouthwatering treats, every table told a story of passion, talent, and entrepreneurship. Proud to support […]
