Sisters of Saint Joseph Welcome Center

The Sisters of Saint Joseph Neighborhood Center, located in Cramer Hill, Camden, New Jersey, is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Philadelphia and was founded in 2017. 

The ministry is staffed by Sisters of Saint Joseph, Sister Bonnie McMenamin, Sister Clarisa Vázquez, Sister Mary Berryman and Karla Estrada, Ana Rodriguez, and Sara Navarro. 

Over the last five years, the SSJ Neighborhood Center has fostered a sense of community with all Neighbors and is committed to serving and welcoming all who need assistance. The Neighborhood Center is focused on building relationships. Programming includes prayer groups, a food pantry, a community garden, English classes, Spanish Literacy classes, a M.A.M.I.S. program for mothers and infants, access to computers, sewing and crocheting lessons, application assistance, a baby & adult clothes closet, a diaper bank, and an eye screening program provided by the New Jersey Commission for the Blind & Visually Impaired. All the offerings at the Center provide opportunities for connection, enrichment, and empowerment. Serving primarily adults and families, the Center offers a safe space for Neighbors to learn and grow together.

The Neighborhood Center relies on volunteers to help serve Neighbors, teach classes, and provide goods for distribution. Beyond the food pantry, donors help provide diapers and baby clothing for families in need, new and used household goods for the Center’s “Neighbor to Neighbor Sharing Markets,” and financial assistance for those seeking help with rent and utilities.

At the Neighborhood Center, everyone is a Neighbor, and our love of God draws us into union with all people and all creation. Together with their Neighbors, the sisters are helping to create a space where all are welcome.

The ministry at the Center is modeled on the example of Saint Joseph, our service is humble and often hidden. We give ourselves in the service of God’s love. We create a space where no one is turned away, where there is always "room at the inn."