Materials provided by Camden County
The October Camden County Board of Freeholders Meeting was held at the Homestead Youth Association Building in Pennsauken.
The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Roosevelt and Fine Elementary School students. A member of the Pennsauken High School Double Dozen then sang the National Anthem.
A Community Development Block Grant check for $90,700 was presented to Pennsauken Township by Freeholder Director Lou Cappelli. Accepting the check on behalf of the Township was Mayor Jack Killion, Deputy Mayor Betsy McBride, and Committeeman Rick Taylor.
The Community Award was presented to Dung T. Nguyen and Neighbors Helping Neighbors. Nguyen came to America in 1993 as a political refugee, and has since received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Rutgers-Camden and a second Master’s Degree in Health Administration from Pfeiffer University. He is currently an analyst for New Jersey Labor and Workforce Development. Nguyen is a community activist, leader, advocate and motivational speaker for the Vietnamese and Asian communities, and was instrumental in establishing the League of Asian American Citizens.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors is a non-profit organization made up of residents who share the mission to help fellow Pennsauken residents in need of a helping hand. They offer one-time-only grants payable directly to a service provider for repairs, services and purchases to Pennsauken residents only. The recipient must demonstrate an emergency financial situation. Funds are raised through private donations and local fundraisers. The general membership meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month in the community Room of the Pennsauken Free Public Library.
The Sustainability Champion Award was presented to Betsy McBride, deputy mayor of Pennsauken. Betsy and her husband of 30 years have lived in Pennsauken, where they raised their sons, for 24 years. She has a strong commitment to volunteerism and has championed many environmental initiatives including the Green 130 program and Pennsauken’s Community Garden. She is also involved with Pennsauken’s Environmental Commission and Shade Tree Commission. In 2013, Pennsauken received their Bronze Level certification under Sustainable Jersey program and has received two grants totaling $12,000 from the organization.
