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How do I schedule a service retreat?

Email Father Mike McCue at dsw@oblates.org or fill in the form on the Contact Page.

How do I apply for Summer Interns?

Complete the Application found here.

How do I apply to be a Service Year Volunteer?

You’ll find the application and process here.

What is the connection between Salesian Spirituality and DSW?

It is easy to think that our world is too busy, too secular and too rough for the power of the “little virtues” and for the positive attitude of DeSales. The Oblates firmly believe that this world is exactly the place for Christianity. We believe the rough city of Camden is one place where we need to share Salesian spirituality. We have witnessed the life-changing impact of engaging in direct, face-to-face service with others. We have seen the results of treating people with the gentleness, honest humility, patience, kindness, thoughtfulness, and generosity that Francis taught. DSW is a concrete way to manifest these teachings and make deliberate contribution to today’s world, one person at a time.

How did DSW get to Camden?

Camden, NJ, has been listed among the poorest of US cities for 40 years. It is a modest sized city across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. Like many US cities, industry and jobs left, property values dropped, buildings aged, and drugs entered the picture. Perhaps the surest indicator that Camden is at a low point is that an almost universal goal that residents aspire to is to “get out” of Camden. Despite all this, the city continues to be an entryway for new immigrants trying to make a home in the US.

Is it safe to come to Camden to volunteer?

The simplest answer is “yes”. People know who we are and respect our work here. In addition, our immediate block is home to five other service agencies. So we are in a very positive environment. Naturally it is important to be prudent when you visit any urban area.

What service opportunities are there for DSW volunteers?

Camden is a very poor city with so much need and there is a wide range of opportunities to address the needs aand to help people in concert with efforts of other service groups.

On the same block as the DSW House, there are five ministries: a medical center, a legal help center, a family center that particularly aids families who have been victims of violent crime, an amazing computer/web training center and a small Catholic grade school. No too far away there is a great soup kitchen/homeless outreach, a homeless shelter, an urban gardening project, a nursing home, a clothing center and various parish outreach efforts. Year-long Volunteers and participants in Salesian service retreats have the opportunity to work with these ministries and to learn about them, their people, and their work.