Community Resilience
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Community Resilience
in Camden, New Jersey
“Fair Food Network’s leadership in food systems, with an enduring emphasis on equity, have made it and its Fair Food Fund a critical partner. We are proud to work with them in launching a new fund in Camden that will co-create positive social change for people in the city we have called home since 1869.”
Kim F. Fortunato
Vice President of Community Affairs & President, Campbell Soup Foundation
Camden, New Jersey, sits amidst tremendous wealth of the Northeast corridor. Yet the abundance of the region — money, power, knowledge — has historically eluded Camden, resulting in high rates of poverty, unemployment, and incarceration.
Following $2.5 billion of public-private investment since 2012, things are beginning to turn around in Camden: Poverty and unemployment are down, high school graduation rates are on the rise, and new businesses are emerging.
Building on this momentum, a new effort is emerging to organize local stakeholders in support of the community’s continued regeneration. This effort is being spearheaded by a collective including Camden Community Partnership, Inc., Campbell Soup Company and the Campbell Soup Foundation, Fair Food Network, The Heart of Camden, Inc., and New Jersey Community Capital, among others.
Leveraging the power of the food sector, this collaborative will deploy integrated investments in area food businesses as means to grow community health and economic resilience, including through increased ownership and wealth-building opportunities for Camden families.