Mission and Goals
The Cedar Hill Community Development Corporation was established in November 2000 as St. John's Community Development Corporation, a 501(c)3 non-profit agency. Its mission: To serve our neighbors in need, the low income residents of the Boonton area, by working with sustained commitment to improve their quality of life in tangible ways. It was founded primarily to fill the dire need for affordable after school child care for low-income families of the Boonton area. Until we opened our doors, these families were forced to leave their children unattended and unsupervised while they worked full time jobs. Children were often seen congregating on lower Main Street where drug activity is rampant.
Our foundation program was a high quality after school program which provides a safe and nurturing place for children
who live at or below the poverty level. This program develops learning skills, promotes positive youth development
and offers a shelter from the risks they would otherwise be facing on the streets. It offers nutritious food,
homework assistance with tutors and instruction in our computer lab. Currently the Community After School Program is
for kindergarten through sixth graders, and we are expanding the program to engage seventh through ninth graders with
our junior mentoring program.
The program has been in operation every day that the public schools are open. The children are met at school by staff members and escorted to the Community After School facilities to engage in the above mentioned activities until their parents pick them up.
Two years later, a summer camp was added. In conjunction with the Boonton Recreation Program, the 42 Summer Camp fills the child care needs of parents who cannot afford pricier alternatives. The CDC substantially subsidizes the families and the program through the grants we receive and allows the parents to continue to work the long hours necessary to support their families.
Both programs are operated by a dedicated and well-trained staff, many of whom have been with us since opening day. Their interaction with the children is key to the success of our program. We are licensed by the state of New Jersey and our facilities meet all state and local requirements.
This year saw the origin of a program that has as its goal a better life for the family as a whole. Cornerstone, as the work implies, provides a foundation with which people can grow. One of the long term goals of the CDC has always been to become a trusted ombudsman to the working poor of Boonton. Because of the success and development of both the After-School program as well as its Summer Camp companion, the parents, the school system and certain social services within the community often look to us for help and advice. In order to provide both help and expertise while not constantly reinventing the wheel, we have partnered ourselves in both formal and informal ways with seminars on many topics including health, legal and financial issues, parenting and other pertinent subjects.
Our Goals as a Totality:
 |
to meet the critical need to provide after-school and summertime care for children of Boonton's low-income families who have no other haven that can insure safety and provide mentoring and structure |
|
to support enriching after-school and summertime programs, effectively complementing the formal academic work at school, yet providing activities for children to explore beyond the scope of the school curriculum |
| to create a resource network, providing parents and adult caregivers with advisors and mentors from the community who will counsel and provide workshops on parenting |
|
| please help our kids-in-need thrive in our after-school and summer camp programs by clicking on the donation button to make a donation |
