CAM, Inc. In operation since May of 1993
With a $1,000 gift from a Volunteer to pay for our first month, CAM – Coodinated Assistance Ministries Inc. came into existence May 1993. A CAM client drew our logo – the Dove of Peace, bearing a ribbon that says, “Out of the Dark – Into the Light.” He said that was his expience at CAM.
Jean Lushin began the Center Township Trustee’s Drop-In in December 1989. He encouraged the move of the homeless day shelter to a church-related base, because of the need for someone to begin a Payee Representative Program. Several people were receiving income, yet homeless, because of not being able to handle their money properly.
To this day, we assist over 68 families with our Payee Representative ministry.
The name “CAM” came from a Task Force of Church Leaders – Nick Block, regarding our mission to “coodinate” and “fill-in-the-cracks” where needed, to assist the homeless and near homeless (cam is something in an engine to make things happen). For every year since our beginning, we have served over 1000 clients per year. We have had many success stories and CAM has become a “family” for many of us in our community.
CAM, Inc. Greatest Success: CAM Clients “Giving to Others”
In our intake process, we ask two questions of our Clients: “What is your dream?” and “With you being helped, will you be willing to come back and help someone else?’
Because of this, we believe we are helping CAM Clients become and continue to be “Givers”when others are in need of assistance. This is why CAM has so many CAM Client Volunteers.
May, 2017, CAM Inc. was 24 years old. The “one thing” for which we are most blessed is that the CAM Clients – sleeping at CAM on mats on the floor, Bill Hudson Project, Family Hope Center and CAM Permanent Housing – each in addition to their own jobs, gave back their time to work on projects to help people in need in our community and other agencies.
As other agencies and organizations may have older members and can use the help of young people to set up their events, CAM is there to assist. Our CAM Volunteer Clients are gracious, helpful, and hard workers.
Whether Volunteers, Hired, or Paid Staff, CAM, Inc. exists to be a coordination of person-to-person ministries.
Please pray that the outreach ministry of CAM, Inc. will continue to be a ministry of “as you are helped, so you are blessed to help another.”
