Camden County OEO Success Stories
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IDA Program Success Story:

January 2020: "My family and I have always dreamed about owning a home, however the average down payment and closing costs were too big of an obstacle for us to overcome; that is until we learned about the IDA (Individual Development Account) Savings program. Working with Najle, Darren, and the rest of the OEO family has proven to be a true blessing for me and my family. I began taking the courses in early 2019 with the intention of taking advantage of the free money, however I left with the knowledge and skills that will last a lifetime. Not only did the program help me financially, it allowed me to better my understanding of the different types of mortgages and other responsibilities associated with owning a home. The classes teach you how to manage finances and improve your credit worthiness. The instructor works with you on a personal level and answers any question you have, making sure you understand completely and leave with no question unanswered. After following the program's curriculum, I left with a better understanding of what it takes to be a responsible first time home owner. I am pleased to say that after several months of saving and preparing, my family and I were able to use the money from the program to purchase our forever home. I would like to personally extend our deepest gratitude to everyone at CCOEO for all their hard work and attention to detail that brought us this far on our journey. I wish continued success for the program and for all who are privileged enough to participate. "  - Jonathan Reveron

Homeless Prevention Success Stories

January 2019: Click here to view recent Homeless Prevention Rapid Rehousing 2 Program success stories.
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Heather Richardson -
Urban Women's Center
​Success Story

In October 2016, Heather Richardson sent an email message thanking Geraldine Taylor, Program Manager and the staff at the Urban Women's Center for helping her by previously placing her in one of Camden County OEO's supportive housing apartment units and helping her to find a job when she attended the Employment Readiness Program. 

Ms. Richardson needed help when she didn't have her own apartment and she was living with her mother. Now, Ms. Richardson is enrolled in college to become a Social Worker, she is married, and her daughter is a college student. Ms. Richardson wrote: "I LOVE the CCCOEO. It ignited my passion to help others. ...The staff is amazing and I love how they work together." 
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Marquis Garner -
Youth Achievement Program 
Success Story

In August of 2015, Rutgers Intern Anna Tsiaras interviewed Marquis Garner to discuss his successful journey through the youth program at Camden County On Economic Opportunity, Inc. (CCCOEO). Garner admitted he did not do well during his high school years in Florida. He continued to have a rough start while running into some early conflict with counselors at CCCOEO after enrolling in the youth program. The Youth Achievement Program works with young adults who did not graduate high school in order to acquire their GED.

“Ms. G really showed me that she cared about me, and wanted me to graduate… she helped me get an internship at a computer [company]” said Garner. Garner then insisted to his counselors and teacher that he did not need to stay the full length of the course, and he could pass the GED exam as soon as possible. After studying, Garner passed his GED testing and returned back to Florida where he was offered two job opportunities.

Garner explains his experience to be great. “We all got along, everybody, all the people I was in class with, (and) we were all friends. We still keep in contact” said Garner. He went on to say “It was a good experience, and it was nice to be around people who actually cared about my life.”

In the Fall of 2015, Garner will be enrolled in Broward Community College in Florida, where he will study biology, with a career goal of becoming a pediatrician.

When asked if he would recommend CCCOEO to other young adults, Garner said “It’s good for them to come here because it teaches you things you might have forgotten.”

Interested in sharing your story?

Camden County OEO is dedicated to continuing our programs that serve income-eligible individuals to achieve self- sufficiency. 

Please take a moment to participate in our testimonial segment, which highlights the positive experiences of those who have benefited from our programs and encourages more individuals to utilize our programs. 

Also, your experiences allow Camden County OEO to continue to receive needed grant funds so that we can administer our programs and help more people. Please enter your success story below. We will call you to take a picture or record a short video. (It's ok if you don't want to post a picture or video.) Thank you!

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