10 Moments That Defined NJCDC in 2025

Community isn’t built in a single moment — it’s built over time, through small acts of care and shared purpose. In 2025, NJCDC witnessed that truth again and again. Across Paterson, students reached new milestones, residents led with vision, and partners and volunteers helped turn commitment into action. 

The moments below capture how that work came together in 2025: 10 moments that defined NJCDC and the community we serve. 

1. Education Opened Doors and Expanded Horizons 

In 2025, NJCDC’s education work focused on opening real doors — and helping students walk through them. 

Our students stood inside the halls of the United Nations on UNESCO’s International Day of Education, explored top universities on our 7th Annual Ivy League Tour, and celebrated major milestones at our College Sendoff — where nearly $30,000 in scholarships reinforced a powerful message: Paterson is behind you.

Some of the most lasting impact in our classrooms comes from the people who show up, year after year. For more than 20 years, our Paterson Family Center preschool has welcomed families with care and consistency — thanks in large part to educators like Ms. Elizabeth, who has been shaping young lives since nearly the very beginning. 

And the results spoke for themselves. Our Community Charter School of Paterson was named one of New Jersey’s highest growth schools in both reading and math — while students like Maria, who arrived in Paterson just three years ago speaking only Spanish, graduated at the very top of her class. 

2. A Generation of Young Leaders Stepped Forward 

If there was one defining theme of 2025, it was this: young people didn’t wait their turn — they led. 

Members of our Paterson Youth Council traveled to Washington, D.C. as part of a civic leadership visit, hosted a Board of Education candidates forum, and sat down with state and county leaders at our Roundtable Dinner to debate legislation and policy priorities.

Their leadership was personal, too. Alumni like Lexie Castillo embodied the full-circle power of NJCDC programs — returning as mentors and leaders shaping the next generation. Students like Elianny Polanco completed Early College with both a diploma and a degree, proving what’s possible when determination meets opportunity. 

Students also took the mic through The Loft Youth Podcast Competition, while others explored urban planning and career pathways at BD. 

3. Turning Places into Opportunity 

In 2025, NJCDC continued transforming spaces into places of stability, growth, and possibility.

We celebrated two years of Barclay Place Apartments, 56 units of affordable housing paired with an on-site wellness hub that has grown into a vibrant, supportive community. Independence House marked its 20th anniversary, as alumni reflected on how transitional housing became a foundation for independence, stability, and purpose.

Opportunity also took shape through economic empowerment. With support from NJCDC’s Financial Empowerment Center, Kirrsy Baez built a new life and a business in Paterson — turning financial hardship into entrepreneurship while raising her family. 

Residents joined civic leaders at our 2025 Neighborhood Summit to hear updates on major development projects and share priorities shaping the future of our Great Falls Neighborhood, as momentum continued with plans for the $12 million Great Falls Recreation Center and a $3 million award from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs to redevelop a former nuisance property into affordable homes and neighborhood retail. 

4. Health and Well-Being Took Center Stage 

Health and well-being were central to NJCDC’s work in 2025 — grounded in the belief that thriving communities need both care and connection. 

After years of advocacy, Westside Park revitalization officially began, breathing new life into one of Paterson’s most historic green spaces. Across the city, parks, playgrounds, and gardens continued to serve as places for movement, restoration, and connection. 

At the same time, NJCDC deepened its commitment to mental health access and equity. Through our NJ4S Passaic County Hub, we supported students, families, and providers with free, accessible wellness services — including a powerful start to the school year and initiatives aimed at breaking barriers to mental health care.

This year also marked the launch of NJCDC’s Lead-Safe Program, a major new initiative housed within our Neighborhood Help Center. Designed to protect children and families from lead exposure, the program is set to remediate or abate between 100 and 200 Paterson homes, offering no-cost inspections, repairs, and temporary relocation assistance. 

5. Residents Led — and NJCDC Followed 

Some of the most powerful moments of 2025 began with a simple premise: residents know what their neighborhoods need. 

Through our inaugural resident-led neighborhood improvement projects, supported by funding from the Regional Foundation, neighbors became teachers, artists, role models, and cultural ambassadors.

That momentum continued with the announcement of Summer 2025 Neighborhood Activities Fund minigrants and culminated in a vibrant celebration at the Summer 2025 Minigrants Showcase — demonstrating what’s possible when trust, resources, and community leadership align. 

6. Community Came Together for Milestones, Moments, and Connection 

In 2025, NJCDC marked milestones — and made room for reflection. 

We closed the chapter on our 30th anniversary with a celebration that traced NJCDC’s growth from a simple effort to lend a helping hand into an organization supporting more than 4,000 children and families each day at our 30th Anniversary Conclusion Celebration. 

We also honored partners and leaders at our 31st Annual Gala and paused to remember Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. through a tribute to his lifelong advocacy for Paterson. That remembrance took on lasting form when state and local leaders gathered to dedicate Route 19 as the William J. Pascrell Jr. Highway. 

7. Service and Partnership Powered the Work 

Behind many NJCDC milestones in 2025 was a network of people who showed up. 

Volunteers filled classrooms with energy during Read Across America Day, bringing stories to life through shared reading and conversation. AmeriCorps members worked alongside community partners to support food distribution and neighborhood beautification.

Our Neighborhood Help Center Street Team spent 12 weeks identifying and cleaning neglected areas across Paterson. And, as part of our neighborhood minigrants initiative, Gwendolyn Tyler mobilized volunteers to lead community cleanups.

Long-standing partnerships also played a critical role. AvalonBay Communities once again demonstrated their Spirit of Caring, spending the day volunteering at multiple sites in our neighborhood — contributing hands-on support through cleanup, landscaping, painting, and repairs that made an immediate and visible impact.

8. Leadership Took the Spotlight — and the Long View 

2025 brought meaningful recognition for leadership rooted in service. 

Our Founder & CEO Bob Guarasci was honored in 2025 with the Housing and Economic Development Hall of Fame Award and a Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award — recognition rooted in more than three decades of service creating opportunity and strengthening Paterson’s communities.

In recognition of that long-term leadership, Bob was appointed to Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill’s Transition Interdisciplinary Advisory Task Force — leaders from across New Jersey helping shape the policy priorities of the incoming administration and ensuring Paterson’s voice is represented at the statewide level.

Leadership was celebrated throughout the organization and the broader community as well. Community leaders and organizations were honored at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Recognition Awards. Mahbuba Uddin received the Paterson Alliance Extra Mile Award. And NJCDC itself was recognized nationally as one of just ten recipients of the TD Charitable Foundation’s Housing for Everyone Award. 

9. Arts and Culture Amplified Community Voice 

Arts and culture remained vital pathways for expression, connection, and leadership. 

Through Positively Paterson, NJCDC partnered with award-winning photojournalist Thomas E. Franklin on a year-long project to document the city as it is lived — capturing people, places, and moments often overlooked.

At the neighborhood level, resident-led arts and culture programs celebrated heritage and artistry through dance, music, photography, and craft. Throughout our programs, creativity opened new doors — from Music in Motion to fashion design, performance, cosmetology, and visual arts. Our Summer Arts Program alone engaged more than 60 young artists, many discovering new talents and confidence along the way. For young people, the arts opened new doors not only to skill-building, but to leadership and self-expression.

That intersection came into focus at our Arts Roundtable Dinner, where members of our Paterson Youth Council joined local artist-visionaries at our Great Falls Youth Center to explore creativity, courage, and what it means to lead through expression. 

10. The Holidays Brought Community Care Into Focus 

As the year drew to a close, NJCDC’s work came into sharp focus. 

Our largest-ever Holiday Gift & Toy Drive brought joy to more than 1,700 children. Families received full meals through our Turkey and Food Basket Giveaway. Volunteers helped feed thousands through food bank partnerships. And, in partnership with the New York Giants, Bob’s Discount Furniture, and LISC New Jersey, NJCDC helped furnish a single mother’s first home just in time for the holidays.

We also gathered at our Annual Friends Breakfast, a moment to reflect on the year and the partnerships that make this work possible. 

Looking Ahead 

As NJCDC moves into the year ahead, the work continues — shaped by residents, strengthened by partners, and grounded in the belief that Paterson’s future is built together.