People who struggle to survive

Editor:

“I lost all my toys in a fire and never got new ones” are words from a 7-year-old that may haunt me for a very long time.

I am the mom of a 7-year-old and I cannot imagine the unhappiness she would experience in a childhood without any toys. Those words broke my heart. I recently visited the home of a young couple I first met in my volunteer work at Hopeworks ‘n Camden, a youth development agency in North Camden. When I offered some books to the youngest member of the family, that was his response.

I think about how memorizing the spiritual and corporal works of mercy in seventh grade religion class didn’t mean much to me, but they are real to me as I visit this family. I remember visiting them in the hospital when their son was born 20 weeks prematurely; stroking the tiniest arm I have ever seen through an incubator. As he grew, gained weight and met developmental milestones, they were thrilled to bring him home from the hospital ahead of schedule. The day before a welcome home shower, an early morning fire destroyed the family’s home and everything inside.

Recently, The New York Times published an article about the new police department in the City of Camden, and the changing tide of violence in the city. Chief Scott Thomson was quoted saying that there is a need to build relationships between the many good people of the city and law enforcement. Over the years, I have had the privilege of knowing many good people in Camden. These are not people who have easy lives; they are people who struggle to survive in the midst of crushing poverty, violence and unfair circumstances which prevent them from breaking the cycle.

Each time I drive to North Camden, I find it a little odd that there is a huge billboard advertising flashy diamond rings looming over one of the poorest parts of one of the poorest cities in the country. It is symbolic of the juxtaposition of Camden’s extreme poverty against that of comfortable suburbs. Many times I feel that my heart is in Camden while my home is in the suburbs.

As I reflect on my experiences in Camden I know I must make an effort to continue to build these relationships with the good people of Camden, for they outnumber the bad.

Kathleen Dianora Duffy, Ed.D.

Literacy Specialist

Woodbury City School District