Joseph’s House of Camden (JHOC)
Title: Combatting Barriers to Shelter and Stability With Joseph’s House of Camden
Student Interns:
Seren Palacio
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
Academic Preceptor:
Mara Gordon, MD
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
Anthony Rostain, MD, MA
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
Community Preceptor:
Danielle Majied
Joseph’s House of Camden
Kevin Moran
Joseph’s House of Camden
Community Site:
Located in Camden, New Jersey, Joseph’s House of Camden (JHOC) is a 24/7 low-barrier shelter for unhoused people. It supports 80 rostered guests and outside community members in need by providing food and water, hygiene products, shower facilities, laundry services, clothing, and many avenues of social support through the social work team, including on-site resources and support for substance use disorder.
Team’s Experience:
In partnership with JHOC, the Bridging the Gaps intern created and implemented a nutrition/cooking workshop and provided education through handouts and conversation on healthy eating, shopping skills, and understanding nutrition labels. Following the lesson, the intern guided participants through a recipe to create a healthy, low-cost meal. The intern also ran several health workshops throughout the summer, including free screenings for and education on diabetic retinopathy, along with blood sugar and blood pressure screenings provided by Cooper University Health Care. Outside of scheduled workshops, the intern served lunch to residents and provided meals and clothing to nonresidents in need.
Reflections
Interning at Joseph’s House opened my eyes to the complexity surrounding homelessness in terms of the varied factors that can lead someone to be in that situation and how much of an impact it makes on all aspects of their life. I was given the privilege to meet and develop connections with guests of JHOC, which allowed me to learn their stories and hurdles they are working to overcome. As a medical student, understanding housing insecurity on a deeper level helps me to approach patient care holistically, making sure I consider crucial aspects such as a patient’s housing status, socioeconomic barriers, and support system when participating in their care.
Seren Palacio
