We’re proud to share our long history of developing innovative, targeted programs and services that help New Yorkers become economically secure and engaged members of their communities. CAMBA is an incubator for programs that have helped over one million New Yorkers improve their lives through education and workforce development, college access, health and wellness, temporary shelters and permanent affordable housing, youth development programs, legal services and much more. From our earliest days in Central Brooklyn to our current roster of 180 programs in five boroughs, we’ve worked to keep communities strong so that all New Yorkers can thrive.
1977: CAMBA is founded in Flatbush to meet neighborhood needs, including reducing crime, improving trash collection, and beautification projects.
1982: Joanne M. Oplustil takes the reins as Executive Director of CAMBA with the knowledge that merchant success is tied to helping the large number of immigrants in Flatbush learn English, acquire jobs, and begin supporting local businesses.
1983: Starts free English classes as well as providing immigrant and refugee services.
1988: CAMBA’s first dropout prevention program is started at Tilden High School in East Flatbush, giving low-income teens the support they need to graduate high school and continue their education
1988: Offers free summer camp for homeless children living at Seagate by the Sea – featuring visiting artists-in – residence, academic enrichment, cultural events and trips.
1989: Begins offering HIV/AIDS services, an early response to a growing crisis.
1993: Opening of CAMBA’s first Beacon Community Center at PS 269 to revitalize the community by engaging parents, teachers, religious leaders and youth to bring stability and opportunity.
1993: CAMBA Legal Services is incorporated as the legal services arm of the agency. It is one of the first providers of free legal services for the working poor.
1994: First human service agency to proactively train all staff in safe sex/universal precautions, and educate newly arriving refugees on HIV prevention and universal precautions.
1995: Early adopter of performance based public contracting; embraces tracking/reporting changes.
1996: First and only free security guard training academy exclusively for women with a focus on immigrant women, and First NYC CBO to offer a free licensed security guard training academy.
1996: Opens the Park Slope Women’s Shelter when NYC begins outsourcing homeless services. CAMBA helps residents manage their mental health in order to make a successful move to permanent housing.
1999: The Afterschool Corporation was founded in 1998 and in 1999, CAMBA was among the first round of grantees for quality after-school programming.
2001: One of only two agencies in the U.S. who agree to resettle HIV+ refugees.
By the early 2000’s we knew housing insecurity would continue to increase due to population growth and gentrification. Homelessness was increasing and low-income families were struggling to stay in their homes.
2004: NYC launches HomeBase, a homeless prevention program that tackles the immediate problems that could result in homelessness. CAMBA is one of the first agencies to operate HomeBase.
2005: CAMBA opens a new non-profit affiliate known as CAMBA Housing Ventures (CHV) to develop innovative solutions for increasing affordable housing in NYC funded via public-private.
2007: CAMBA’s first chronically homeless family moves into permanent supportive housing at 880 Willoughby which includes a renovated luggage factory. This mixed-use building helps spur redevelopment in Bushwick.
2012: First technology training program ‘Mobilize Your Business’ for low-income and immigrant entrepreneurs to use mobile technology to formalize their businesses and the first publicly funded initiative in the U.S. to train and ‘right-match’ highly skilled immigrant professionals to gateway jobs in their professions.
2013: First replicable national model for building affordable housing on underutilized hospital property thereby providing on-site health care access (CAMBA Gardens I built on the campus of Kings County Hospital).
2013: Launches Collegiate Express, a dual generation college readiness initiative with a unique “Parent-Coach” component. 100% of graduating seniors in the pilot are accepted into the college of their choice.
2014: First mobile unit of HomeBase aka the “You Can Van” – designed to reach families most at risk of homelessness and consistently keep over 90% out of the shelter system.
2015: One of the first providers in NYC to offer specialized afterschool programming to children living in shelters (SONYC) and the first to bring the SafeCare evidence-based model for foster care prevention to shelters.
2015: BIVO (Brownsville In Violence Out) pilot begins. After one year, the highest conflict areas in the 73rd Precinct saw a 57% decrease in shootings.
2015: Project ALY promotes family acceptance of LGBTQ youth via social marketing and community education.
2016: Opens six new Cornerstone Community Centers, located in New York City Public Housing facilities.
2016: First CBO to create and offer small business development trainings tailored to Worker Co-Ops in NYC.
2016: Selected for the highly competitive Connections to Care (C2C) initiative to provide clinical mental health services for pregnant women and parents of children aged 0-4 at The Landing family shelter in Queens.
2017: Opens the first supportive and affordable housing built on surplus NYCHA property (Van Dyke Housing).
2018: CAMBA Legal Services, Legal Aid Society, and Fordham Law School Issue Groundbreaking Report on the Impact of Financial Abuse on Domestic Violence Survivors.
2018: CAMBA’s President/CEO Makes List of 2018 Most Influential People in Nonprofit Sector.
2019: CAMBA Gardens Phase II receives the 2018 Outstanding Affordable Housing Development award by the U.S. Green Building Council.
2020: CAMBA Housing Ventures begins development plans for 300 affordable housing units along with an array of social services and amenities on Clarkson Avenue as part of the NYC Vital Brooklyn initiative.
We look forward to your help and support in advancing the mission of CAMBA and the clients we serve!