History of Destiny Community Development Corporation
Destiny Community Development Corp (DCDC) is a faith based nonprofit community organization involved with programs and services addressing the personal needs of community residents who require assistance to improve the quality of life for themselves and their families. The mission of DCDC is three fold:
1) To implement vehicles for community empowerment based on principles that are community initiated, value centered ,and solution orientated.
2) To provide assistance to enhance the quality of life for the community through self-sustaining community initiatives.
3) To develop strategic partnerships with public and community organizations, churches, corporations, and government agencies to accomplish community goals more effectively.
Rev. Joseph Sorce is the founder and Board President of Destiny Community Development Corporation (DCDC). Destiny CDC is a non-profit community organization involved with programs and services, addressing the personal needs of community residents who require assistance to improve the quality of life for themselves and their families. Destiny CDC was incorporated as a non-profit corporation on July 29, 2003, and received a 501(C3) tax exempt status on
January 12, 2007.
In September of 2005, we hosted a Back to School Outreach. We received the permission of the Lakewood Housing Authority to set-up on site at one of their apartment complexes. We provided food, entertainment and distributed backpacks filled with school supplies. The event had 250 residents in attendance and we had 35 volunteers on location that day.
In November of 2005, we hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for Senior Citizens in Ocean County. It was held at The Brick VFW and we had 700 in attendance and approximately 50 volunteers on location that day.
In December of 2005, we hosted Christmas Candyland. This event was hosted at our facility and was open to the community. Families were able to walk through a winter wonderland, which was an elaborately themed Christmas, where they saw life size characters, played games, won prizes and collected treats. Over 1300 people came through with approximately 30 volunteers helping per night.
In response to an ever growing need in our community, on August 8, 2006, we launched, The Community Outreach Food Pantry. The mission of this program is to provide food and clothing to anyone in need regardless of race, creed or ethnicity, in such a way as to maintain a person’s dignity as a respected member of society. Our desire is to ease the financial burdens of individuals, families, and senior citizens, so that they can re-establish their finances, regain their self-confidence and strengthen their homes, thereby positively affecting the community as a whole. The food pantry is open to the public Tuesday through Thursday from 10am-2:30pm & Saturday 11am - 2pm. We serve any person/family who is experiencing economic hardship, once per month, as they have need. We feed an average of 750 families per month. Our work force numbers approximately 40 workers per week, the majority being volunteers from our congregation and the local community. For this program, Destiny has been in collaboration with the following organizations.
Local supermarketsLocal realtors and businessesOcean County Probation Department & local schools In the spring of 2007, we opened the Community Outreach Thrift Shop. From its inception, the thrift shop has been a place where those in the community could donate items, as well as purchase a variety of products at discount prices. Presently, the thrift shop is the main source of funding for the food pantry, donating its proceeds to feeding those in need.
We also held our first big fundraising event, in August of 2007. We had over 80 men and women attend this golf outing, which was held at Eagle Ridge Golf Course, in Lakewood, NJ. It was an enjoyable event which consisted of golfing, lunch and a live auction.
In addition to running the food pantry, Destiny CDC has a program called the Compassion Coalition which distributes food to ministries who have a desire to operate a food pantry in their local communities.
Destiny Community Development Corporation
Providing Tools That Empower People
DCDC 236 Brick Blvd in Brick, NJ | 501(c)3 non-profit organization | 732 451 0779
