Community Meeting to Inspire Camden Youth Set for Wednesday

PBCIP, a non-profit community development corporation in the Parkside section of Camden, presents “Parkside’s Hope for Tomorrow” on Wednesday, June 8, 10 a.m. at the Camden County Historical Society, 1900 Park Boulevard in Camden.

The goal of the event is to spark the participation of Parkside youth in identifying the community’s hope for a brighter future.

At the event, Parkside will launch a seven-month neighborhood planning process spearheaded by Parkside residents and funded by the Wells Fargo Regional Foundation (WFRF).

The $100,000 neighborhood planning grant will assist with bringing well-planned development, economic and community growth to Parkside.

“PBCIP is a long-time partner of the Foundation and has been leading a well thought out revitalization of the Parkside neighborhood,” Wells Fargo Regional Foundation Executive Director Denise McGregor-Armbrister said. “We are excited to fund this planning process, as the revisit the progress of their previous plan and develop intentional goals for the next 10 years.”

The neighborhood plan includes a development plan created by a professional planning firm (KSK of Philadelphia) to steer economic and business growth, as well as a holistic plan, created by residents to map and harness community assets to create a stronger neighborhood.

PBCIP was founded on the principle that its members inspire their fellow residents to find constructive ways to take back their neighborhood.

Nearly 20 years ago, the organization evolved when a single anti-drug march led to a community wide meeting to explore long term solutions to neighborhood blight. The meeting, in turn, led to the formation of PBCIP as a 501C3 non-profit organization which for most of its existence was run solely by volunteers from the neighborhood. Today, PBCIP has an operating budget of more than $600,000 and a paid staff of six.

PBCIP’s Executive Director Bridget Phifer believes “Incorporating the ideas and vision of Parkside youth is critical to effective community decision making and positive outcomes for a transformed community.”

The Wells Fargo Regional Foundation, established in 1998, is a grant making body with the primary mission to support the revitalization of communities located in New Jersey, Delaware, and eastern Pennsylvania.

Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded over $80 million in grants to more than 130 nonprofit organizations.

For additional information on the Foundation, visit https://www.wellsfargo.com/about/regional-foundation/.