Eight years ago, ministries throughout Haddonfield gathered to provide a service to the community that would help the people of Camden County — the Haddonfield Council of Churches case worker program and fund.
Eight years ago, ministries throughout Haddonfield gathered to provide a service to the community that would not only serve as a beacon of hope for those living in Haddonfield but to those living in Camden County — the Haddonfield Council of Churches case worker program and fund.
The program is centralized at one location, the First Presbyterian Church, with the purpose of helping people who are not only living in town but the surrounding communities. The program allows people in need of urgent financial services to seek assistance in critical situations such as utilities being shut off or providing food to those in need.
Those seeking assistance know exactly where they need to go and whom to speak to, instead of jumping from various churches throughout town. Prior to the case worker program, those in need of financial support would go to churches throughout town seeking aid and guidance, which opened the doors for a minority of individuals to abuse the services provided by the churches.
Prior to the case worker program, those in need of financial support would be going to churches throughout town seeking aid and guidance, which left uncertainty among the ministries throughout town as to what the money was being used for, according to Bill Getman, who has served as pastor of Haddonfield’s First Presbyterian Church for 16 years.
“We had no idea if the need was real or how to determine that,” Getman said. “This made sure that the monies we were utilizing were, with no 100 percent guarantee, being used as carefully as possible.”
Whether it is giving assistance over the phone or in person, one man is behind it all — Ed Hess. Hess, a retired social worker, has served 38 years as a social worker for Camden County’s board of social services. The program survives off of donations, and with these contributions Hess has helped those in need pay for utility bills, bus passes, grocery store cards, rental assistance and other miscellaneous needs for people in Camden County.
He can be found on Tuesdays and Fridays at the Presbyterian Church where he meets with families, seniors, couples and individuals seeking financial assistance or support.
“I try to limit how much money I give one family or one couple at a time … but if someone comes in with a shut off notice from a utility, I try to pay that whole amount or at least a majority of it and let them pay the rest,” Hess explained. “We don’t want their utilities shut off, especially in the winter.”
In 2017, 79 individuals either from Haddonfield or who were referred through the Haddonfield churches in town utilized the program, according to Hess.
“People don’t look at it as a Haddonfield problem, but it is,” he said.
From helping a single mom pay her special needs son’s tuition for three months straight to helping a couple pay their water bill, Hess says his job is a new journey every day.
“I never know day-to-day what I am walking into,” Hess said.
The Haddonfield Council of Churches relies on donations to keep the program active. Churches throughout town, individuals, banks and charitable organizations in town have helped contribute. To donate, write a check made payable to the First Presbyterian Church, 20 Kings Highway East, memoed case worker. For those looking to make an appointment with Hess, contact the church at (856) 429–1960.
