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Hopeworks News: December 2006
Hopeworks Open House A Great Success!
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 Over the past few weeks, Hopeworks youth and staff were busy cleaning and decorating in preparation for the Annual Open House held on December 7th. There was great excitement and anticipation of the guests to come, and Hopeworks was "showcased" on the tours led by the youth.
Hopeworks opened its doors to over 75 visitors. Refreshments were provided by the Board of Directors and staff, and our guests enjoyed
sandwiches and Christmas baked goods. Thanks to Starbucks, we had coffee available to offer all day!
Many thanks to , , , , , and for providing tours and information about Hopeworks to our many visitors.
A very special thank you to Bunnie Kunicki and the Board of Directors, especially Francesca McClay, Pastor Margaret Herz-Lane, and Pam Robb for all of their work towards making the Hopeworks Open House a great success!
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| Father Jeff Returns From A Conference In Africa |
 recently returned from a trip to South Africa and Tanzania. He first went to South Africa to attend a conference on diversity which was an optional opportunity for those pursuing an Organizational Dynamics degree at the University of Pennsylvania. The trip to Tanzania was to connect with Don Ward, SJ, a Jesuit that Fr. Jeff had lived with previously in Camden. In Fr. Jeff ’s own words:
"My heart has been been lost in Africa! What an extraordinary trip it was for me. First, to meet my Jesuit brothers working in Tanzania was wonderful. I felt inspired by their vocations and utterly grateful to God for my own vocation! How wonderful it is that God wanted me to be a Jesuit!" Click to read more...
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| Hopeworks Attends "GIS Day" In Harrisburg, PA |
 , , and attended the Harrisburg GIS Day event. At the conference they met with various professionals and organizations in the field of Geographical Information Services. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about new technology as well as introduce the Hopeworks GIS team to professionals who share our field. There was also an opportunity to vote at the GIS Day map competition. It was interesting to see the variety of maps that people had designed and get ideas for our own. The Hopeworks GIS team
is looking forward to competing with a map of their own next year! |
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| Hopeworks Community Shares Thanksgiving Dinner |
 Hopeworks celebrated Thanksgiving on Tuesday, November 21st with a traditional turkey dinner. Both staff and youth contributed to the feast. Several of our youth expressed that they didn't have any plans for Thanksgiving and were very excited about our dinner. It gave us an  opportunity to recognize our gratefulness to each other and to all the people who contribute their time, talent, and treasure to making Hopeworks such an extraordinary place. Several Hopeworks alumni stopped in and shared their recent stories of success in their lives with all of us. It was inspiring for the youth to hear the achievements of those who had taken advantage of Hopeworks. Overall the dinner was a very positive experience and an excellent opportunity for Hopeworks to dedicate some time purely to enjoying each other's company. |
| GIS Wraps Up Tree Survey In Haddon Township |
 The Hopeworks GIS Team recently wrapped up a tree survey for a new client, the Haddon Township Environmental Commission. Our GIS Team took to the streets and gathered extensive data about the trees in the township as well as the conditions for tree growth. Over the course of several weekends, rain or shine, the team surveyed the area both gathering data and offering information about the survey to the residents of the township. Congratulations to our GIS Team, who surveyed nearly 20 miles for this project! |
| Hopeworks Welcomes Two New Board Members |
 Hopeworks is pleased to welcome our two newest Board members, Angel Osorio and Skip Torresson. Angel Osorio is the Community Justice Coordinator for the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office. Born and raised in Camden, Angel earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from UCLA and a law degree from the University of La Verne. On her invitation to join the Board, Angel commented, “Hopeworks is an organization that epitomizes the essence of a truly effective proactive/preventative program for the youth of Camden City. It is the embodiment of the essential ingredients required for success - a talented, passionate and dedicated staff, a nurturing and loving environment, a detailed and thorough curriculum, innovative and proactive vocational insight and a commitment to follow through.”
 Also joining the board is Skip Torresson. Skip is an accomplished Leadership Consultant with more than thirty years of experience in senior sales and management positions at IBM, ITEL, Hitachi Data Systems, and Unisys. He is President and CEO of The Stewardship Group, supporting Servant Leaders by engaging Passion, Purpose & Spirit in their organizations and personal lives. Skip is very excited to be part of our board, commenting “I think that Hopeworks' future is exceptionally bright and limited only by our ability and willingness to let the Spirit lead the vision of Hope that Hopeworks offers to our youth in Camden and across the country. Hope does, indeed, work!" Together Skip and Angel join the board with the commitment to help make Hopeworks the best that it can be.
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| Inside View: Hopeworks Celebrates Christmas Season |
 The holidays are a busy time for us at Hopeworks. Besides working on end of year tasks for clients, our college students preparing for final exams, and staff and youth doing their Christmas shopping and preparing for the holidays, things can get pretty hectic. Nevertheless, at Hopeworks we strive to celebrate the spirit of the occasion. We took a day off to decorate Hopeworks both inside and out. We bake cookies regularly, in addition to our baking bread. On Thursday, December 21st, Hopeworks staff and youth will have their very own Christmas Party! |
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 Hopeworks Day Trainees and both received free eye exams and new glasses from as part of a corporate program to provide eyeglasses to the uninsured. On behalf of our youth, Thank You Lenscrafters!
Congratulations to Day Trainees , , and for passing their production tests. Vanessa and Thomas have moved up to Web Production and were also hired as Day Trainers. Wayne has moved up to GIS Production.
HTS trainee and Woodrow Wilson senior has finished his personal website, passed his production test and will be moving on to Web Production. Camden High sophomore has also passed his production test and been hired as a Hope Through School trainer. Congratulations Matt and Jamaal!
Very special congratulations are in order to , , , , , , and who will be enrolling in college for the Spring Semester starting in January. Congratulations also to , , , , and who will be continuing their college education.
Father Jeff and Todd's Birthday
Hopeworks Youth and Staff Christmas Party
Hopeworks goes on break for the holidays.
camdenresources.org
Friends for Life Animal Sanctuary
Camden Diocese
ABC Financial Solutions
South Jersey Diving Association
St. Charles Borromeo
Camden Youth Drug Court
Eastparkside
Romero Center
Newburgh Ministries
Woodbury Presbyterian
NJRC
Our Lady of Good Council
DiCicco Builders
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Would you like to help create HOPE in the lives of Camden
youth?
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