Food Access & Nutrition
Fresh food access, grocery support, Boardwalk Basket delivery, SNAP/EBT guidance, healthy cooking workshops, and emergency food referrals.
One Intake. One Empowerment Plan. One Pathway to Financial Freedom.
Connecting AC COOP members to the services, benefits, and partners that build a stronger, healthier, and more prosperous Atlantic City.
Your Empowerment Journey Live pathway
- ResidentJoin or connect with the co-op
- AssessmentFour assessments, one plan
- ServicesConnect to trusted providers
- JobTraining & work-based learning
- BusinessVendor & entrepreneurship paths
- OwnershipBecome a community owner
From benefits to stability to ownership0% → 100%
One trusted front doorInstead of office to office, agency to agency
Why We Created the Center
Because support should be easier to access.
Many Atlantic City residents face more than one challenge at the same time — food insecurity, housing pressure, transportation barriers, healthcare needs, unemployment, and public-benefit complexity.
Instead of sending residents from office to office and website to website, the Co-op is building one trusted front door: complete one intake, understand your needs, connect with services, and receive a practical plan for long-term stability.
Food AccessHousingHealthcareEmploymentEducationTransportationFinancial Stability
Atlantic City is a food desert where many residents lack car access. The Co-op connects food access with social services, jobs, and community ownership.
What the Center Does
One place to start. Many pathways to support.
We help members identify needs, understand available resources, connect with trusted providers, and build a step-by-step plan toward stability and economic mobility.
Benefits Navigation
Support identifying and connecting with available federal, state, county, local, nonprofit, and community-based benefits and services.
Housing & Utility Support
Referrals for housing stability, rental assistance, utility support, weatherization, and eviction prevention resources.
Healthcare & Wellness
Connection to primary, dental, behavioral health, preventive screenings, Medicaid/Medicare support, and wellness partners.
Education & Job Readiness
Academic assessment, digital literacy, career readiness, resume support, credential training, and work-based learning.
Financial Empowerment
Financial assessment, budgeting, credit readiness, savings, banking access, benefits-cliff awareness, and freedom planning.
Entrepreneurship Support
Business idea review, Boardwalk Basket vendor pathway, cloud-kitchen opportunities, licensing referrals, and coaching.
Co-op Ownership
Pathways to become a Community Owner Member, block captain, vendor, youth ambassador, sponsor, or community leader.
How It Works
Your pathway starts with one intake.
Six guided steps move every member from first contact to a personalized plan and trusted connections. Tap any step to expand.
Begin as a co-op member, Prime Member, community resident, or through a service provider, block captain, or partner referral. There's no wrong door — every path leads to the same coordinated support.
Co-op MemberPrime MemberResidentPartner ReferralBlock Captain
One intake helps us understand your household, benefits, barriers, food needs, housing situation, employment status, education goals, and health access — so you only tell your story once.
HouseholdBenefitsFood & HousingEmploymentGoals
A complete picture of where you are today — and where you want to go.
FinancialBarrierAcademicJob Readiness
A personalized roadmap with immediate needs, referrals, training options, job-readiness steps, financial goals, and ownership opportunities — with 30-day, 90-day, 6-month, and 12-month milestones.
Immediate needsReferralsTrainingFinancial goalsOwnership path
We connect you to service providers, government agencies, nonprofits, healthcare organizations, workforce partners, financial partners, and employers — the right service at the right time.
HealthcareWorkforceFinancialHousingEmployers
The Center tracks referrals, follows up with members, and helps each person keep moving — from support to stability, stability to income, and income to ownership.
Referral trackingCheck-insClosed-loopNext step
Individual Empowerment Plan
Your personalized plan for stability, income & ownership.
A practical roadmap built around your real household needs and long-term goals — not a list of phone numbers. Here's what one looks like.
Emergency food + Boardwalk Basket set upImmediate household stability
DoneBenefits screening — SNAP & Medicaid filedPublic assistance secured
DoneOpen a banking accountFinancial coaching session 1
In progressSchedule primary-care visitHealthcare navigation
UpcomingPrime Member Support
Special support for those who need it most.
Prime Members receive public assistance or face significant barriers to stability. We're committed to helping them move toward the true middle class — through support, education, employment, entrepreneurship, and cooperative ownership.
One-on-one navigation
Benefits screening
Empowerment Plan
Food access & delivery
Financial coaching
Training pathways
Work-based learning
Co-op ownership education
Prime Member
Priority Navigation
A dedicated navigator, a personal plan, and follow-up support every step of the way.
- Barrier & financial assessment + coaching
- Academic & job-readiness assessment
- Training through Ideal Institute of Technology
- Boardwalk Basket delivery where available
- Referrals to trusted providers + follow-up
Support Services Ecosystem
Every category of community support, in one network.
We work with providers, public agencies, nonprofits, and businesses across every area of need. Select a category to explore what members can access.
Food & Nutrition
Fresh, affordable, walkable
Fresh groceries, emergency food, nutrition education, food budgeting, healthy cooking, SNAP support, senior grocery access, and delivery support.
GroceriesEmergency foodSNAPSenior accessDelivery
Powered by Ideal Institute of TechnologyPowered by education, employment & entrepreneurship.
More than a referral office — a pathway to skills, credentials, jobs, business ownership, and long-term financial mobility.
- LearnDigital literacy & training
- TrainApprenticeships & credentials
- WorkPaid work-based learning
- EarnEmployment & income
- OwnBusiness & co-op ownership
Digital literacy
Career readiness
Job training
Paid work-based learning
Apprenticeships
Entrepreneurship training
Small business support
Youth leadership
Community navigator training
Block captain training
Become a Service Provider / Impact Partner
Reach the residents who need your services most.
Join the Impact Partner Digital Network — a coordinated referral system that reduces fragmentation, improves follow-up, and strengthens measurable community impact.
Better, qualified referrals
Our intake and assessment process identifies member needs before referrals are made, so you connect with residents who already qualify.
Closed-loop network
Navigators support members with documentation, reminders, and follow-up — and every referral is tracked to a result.
Demonstrate impact
Participate in shared impact reporting, community service days, and funder-facing outcome stories rooted in local ownership.
Partner Levels
Ways to partner
Listed Resource Partner
For organizations that want to be included in the Co-op service directory.
- Listed in partner directory
- Program / service description
- Eligibility criteria
- Contact information
- Referral instructions
Referral Partner
For organizations ready to accept referrals from Co-op navigators.
- Digital referral participation
- Service category listing
- Referral contact person
- Follow-up coordination
- Quarterly partner check-ins
Strategic Impact Partner
For formal collaboration, shared outcomes, and priority member support.
- MOU / partner agreement
- Closed-loop referral process
- Joint workshops & service clinics
- Shared impact metrics
- Co-branded outreach
Preferred Member Provider
For businesses offering discounted, sponsored, or priority services to members.
- Preferred provider listing
- Member benefit description
- Discount / special-access terms
- Member referral pathway
- Sponsor Prime Member services
Impact Statement
Building a stronger Atlantic City through cooperative power.
Not a traditional charity program — a cooperative social-care and economic-mobility hub. Residents don't only receive help; they become owners, leaders, workers, entrepreneurs, and builders of the city's future.
1Assess the member2Build the plan3Connect the provider4Track the result5Grow the income6Build ownership
Questions, Answered
Frequently asked questions
The Center is the Co-op's member-support hub. It helps members complete one intake, receive assessments, build an Individual Empowerment Plan, and connect with trusted service providers.
The Center is designed for Co-op members and Atlantic City residents, with priority support for Prime Members receiving public assistance or facing barriers to stability.
A Prime Member is a Co-op member receiving public assistance or facing significant barriers such as food insecurity, housing instability, unemployment, health needs, transportation challenges, or financial hardship.
No. The Co-op provides intake, assessment, navigation, planning, referrals, and follow-up. Many services are delivered through trusted service providers and impact partners.
Complete the Partner Application. The Co-op will review your services, eligibility requirements, contact process, and partnership fit.
Nonprofits, public agencies, healthcare providers, employers, workforce providers, financial institutions, housing organizations, legal-aid providers, food-access partners, transportation providers, childcare providers, and businesses serving Atlantic City residents.
Yes. Businesses that provide useful, ethical, affordable, discounted, sponsored, or priority services to Co-op members can apply to become Preferred Member Service Providers.
No. The Center can serve all Co-op members, but Prime Members receiving public assistance or facing serious barriers receive priority navigation and support.
Still have questions? Talk to a Navigator.
Call 609-318-8011 or start your intake — you only tell your story once.