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Luz, a single mother and factory worker, comes from El Salvador. In 1998, changes in immigration law threatened
to end Social Security benefits for her disabled daughter. Determined to prevent this, Luz came to the CDC to
learn English so she could become a US citizen. With hard work, she passed the citizenship test and kept her daughter¹s
benefits.
Cheryl began abusing drugs as a child. Orphaned at 15 and left to fend for herself in the streets, Cheryl supported
her addictions by becoming a commercial sex worker. In 1998 Cheryl came to us for help. After counseling at the
CDC, she signed up for a long-term residential drug treatment program, where she is making excellent progress.
Robert is a 13-year-old who loves computers but couldn't afford to buy one. He joined the CityServe summer program
to get the free computer offered as part of the computer upgrading program. He was not really interested in leadership
training or community service. Once he got involved, however, Robert became an enthusiastic participant in all
projects. At summer¹s end, he had learned that serving others is its own reward. He gave his $100 stipend
to his little sister and took home his computer with the feeling that he had truly earned it.
These three individuals represent a small part of the ministry of St. Paul's Community Development Corporation
in Paterson. Established in 1990 as the outreach arm of St. Paul¹s Episcopal Church and recognized as an
Episcopal Jubilee Outreach Center, the CDC annually provides services to thousands of low-income people, with the
help of over 300 volunteers and 40 congregations. Our mission is to alleviate the pervasive conditions of homelessness,
unemployment, poverty and illiteracy in the City of Paterson. We provide emergency services to all in need and
design long-term approaches for social and economic improvement at the grassroots level.
Program Accomplishments in 1998
The Food Pantry provided bagged groceries and emergency baby supplies to more than 10,000 people. The Men¹s
Shelter served over 900 homeless men with 14,000 nights of shelter and 28,000 meals. The Adult Education Program
provided literacy assessment and instruction in basic skills and English-as-a-Second-Language for 300 students.
Our smallest program, Transitional Housing, helped five former shelter residents learn job skills and develop
the social, educational, and practical skills needed for self-sufficiency. The Affordable Housing Program allowed
seven low-income families to purchase their own co-op apartments in a rehabilitated mansion. The City Serve Teen
Program provided leadership training, educational activities, and community service opportunities to 225 teens.
Outreach to Women in Need supplied street corner outreach, support groups, substance abuse counseling, and case
management for 200 commercial sex workers. The Americorps Community Service Program supported all of the above,
helped Paterson school children learn computer literacy, and developed neighborhood improvement projects.
A Growing Organization
The CDC has grown significantly in the past two years, with several new programs added to our social service offerings.
Our budget has doubled, reflecting not only the expanded programs, but also an increased confidence in our work
among public and private funders. As we¹ve grown, we have built our administrative infrastructure to support
our expansion. In 1999 we plan to complete our neighborhood redevelopment plan, to improve our facility and expand
program space, to enhance our sheltering services, to develop women¹s health initiatives, and to create an
organization-wide case management support system to help clients of all programs work toward self-sufficiency.
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