A Vision for a User-Owned Grocery in Camden
Imagine a grocery store owned and shaped by the people it serves—a space where the community decides what’s on the shelves. This vision is at the heart of the article Coalition Hopes to Establish Food Cooperative in Camden: Public Input Critical to Success of Project, Representative Says, published by Janel “Jaycee” Miller in TAPinto Camden.
Melissa A. Thompson, a PhD student in the Public Affairs/Community Development program at Rutgers-Camden, is contributing to this initiative. The proposed cooperative would be a user-owned, user-controlled space designed to address food apartheid in Camden. A potential site at Broadway and Clinton Streets could offer fresh produce, herbs, seafood, and more—tailored to the needs of the community.
Thompson emphasized the importance of public involvement in shaping the project, saying, “In community development literature… I have been finding that the building environment is limited or expanded by people’s imagination. But that’s the goal, to bring people in and see that this is something different.” Plans are underway to form committees that will guide membership, financing, and outreach, laying the groundwork for a sustainable, equitable food system.
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Rutgers University–Camden offers M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Public Affairs/Community Development, focusing on public policy, urban affairs, and political economy. The curriculum addresses community power, urban sustainability, and social justice, providing advanced research skills through courses like Statistical Inquiry and Geospatial Analysis. Students can engage in practical experiences via research centers such as the Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs and the Center for Urban Research and Education. The program offers flexible pathways, including a 30-credit M.S. degree suitable for part-time students, a 2+3 model combining M.S. and Ph.D. studies, and a 66-credit Ph.D. program. Notably, Rutgers–Camden’s Public Affairs program is recognized among the top public affairs schools by U.S. News & World Report.
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