$1.29M

Wages and stipends paid last 12 months

91%

12-month retention rate

$286

Average annual wage at entry

$41,142

Average wage at exit

OUR MISSION

“With a focus on skill development, real-world job experience, and trauma-informed care, Hopeworks propels young adults into long-term living wage careers that put them on the path for healing and financial stability”

Our Vision. Our Mission.

Our Action.

Education, Technology, & Entrepreneurship.

Hopeworks provides a positive, healing atmosphere that propels young people to build strong futures and break the cycle of violence and poverty in Camden, New Jersey.

We connect young adults to life-changing opportunities where their growing technology skills go to work for enterprising businesses within our community. The real-world, on-the-job experience they gain raises their potential and benefits our partners.

Our Timeline

  • 1999

    Humble Beginnings

    Hopeworks was organized in 1999 by members of three churches in North Camden, with the goal of offering training to high school dropouts.
  • 2000

    Our First Office

    In 2000, we formed a Board of Directors, hired an Executive Director, wrote grant proposals, and got startup grants from the Campbell Soup Company and the Society of Jesus and in March of 2000, we opened our doors on 543 State Street to the first trainees and started our youth development non-profit.
  • 2012

    A Change in Direction

    In 2012, we made another important discovery that training alone was just not enough. Our young adults were successful, but many more dropped out, did not complete the training, or were not successful in internships. We also needed to help our young adults heal. Hopeworks made the decision to become a certified Sanctuary organization. What does this mean? It means we have radically shifted our values/priorities/interactions to a “trauma” framework. You can find out more about Sanctuary here.
  • 2018

    Our New Office

    For 18 years, we’ve run our nonprofit out of our row-home on State Street. In 2018, we adequately outgrew our original space, and have moved to Market Street in Camden.
  • The Present Day

    Here at Hopeworks, we believe that without addressing the unresolved traumatic issues in a young adult's life–especially as they manifest in habitual patterns of protection–i.e. disengagement, disconnected emotional state, anger, emotional eruptions, etc.– youth will not be able to take full advantage of opportunities in their lives. We can either work on creating new opportunities and hope that there are young adults who can succeed in them or we can work on creating individuals who will be able to take advantage of new opportunities. We choose the latter!

BEHIND THE SCENES

Meet The Team

808 Market St.,
Camden, NJ 08102
(856) 365-4673
Hopeworks is a 501(c)(3) non-for-profit organization, EIN: 31-1660671.
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