CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — With a blessing, prayer and renewed commitment to serve some of the county’s most vulnerable residents, Catholic Charities of South Jersey officially opened its new Cape May County Family and Community Center on March 30.
The center relocated after the lease for its previous Rio Grande site, which it had occupied since 2012, was not renewed due to plans by the owner to demolish the building.
“There are so many people who are in need of help, and there’s not enough services out there,” said Aimee Brown, regional program coordinator for Catholic Charities of South Jersey, who serves Cape May County as well as Atlantic County and, alongside Madelyn Frazier, Cumberland County. “I’m so happy that we were able to move in here, so we can continue to work with the community and help everyone.”
Catholic Charities operates centers in all six counties within the Diocese of Camden, with each location responding to the specific needs of its local community. The centers help bridge gaps between residents and available assistance, while also connecting individuals to broader agency services such as veterans support and addiction healing services.
In Cape May County, the center assists families facing hardships such as rental and utility costs, security deposits, and the need for essential items including cribs, diapers and used furniture. Staff maintain emergency supplies and hygiene kits on site and connect residents with nearby food pantries and other local resources to ensure families can access the support they need on an ongoing basis.
Cape May County is a very unique county, said Dr. Maria Elena Hallion, executive director of Catholic Charities of South Jersey, noting the contrast between “tremendous wealth” in shore communities and “pockets of pretty extreme poverty inside the county.”
She also pointed to the challenges faced by seasonal workers. “We have a very diverse group of people that come in for [seasonal work] from all over the world,” she said, and while they may do well then, they have to supplement their income when that work is over, or leave the area to find work elsewhere.
“What’s really great about this county is that there are a lot of great people here doing amazing work,” she added.
Father Peter Idler, pastor of All Saints Parish in Millville and dean of Deanery 5, which includes Cape May and Cumberland counties, blessed the new office space and those who will serve there, including case workers.
Before the prayer, Father Idler noted: “It’s appropriate that we [bless the building] in this final week of Lent, since we are called to prayer, fasting and almsgiving. This work is a fruit of the almsgiving of so many of the Diocese, as well as the word almsgiving means act of mercy. So your acts of mercy that will take place here are really the expression of the Church’s love for all of God’s people, Catholic and non-Catholic.”
The CCSJ Cape May County Family and Community Center is now located at 108 N. Wildwood Blvd. in Cape May Court House. The office can be reached at 609-886-2662.
at the bottom and then tap “Add to Home Screen”
