St. Luke CDC is a nonprofit 501©(3) community based organization located in Paterson, NJ. St. Luke CDC was established by St. Luke Baptist Church in 1997 under the direction of the Rev. Kenneth D.R. Clayton to serve as a catalyst for economic and community development in the City of Paterson.

As a not for profit entity, the St. Luke CDC aims to:

• Establish programs and services to the broad and diverse socio-economic needs of the residents of Paterson and Passaic County.
• Provide leadership in and form partnerships with private and public sector institutions to improve the quality of life for residents of Paterson and Passaic County.

For more information on CDC operations, please call or email us at:
973-345-4309
[email protected]

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Our Mission
The mission of the St. Luke Community Development Center (CDC) is to serve as an agent of hope, help and healing in the City of Paterson. We exist to improve the quality of life of city residents, create a better community and to empower individuals to live self-sufficient lifestyles with the proper skills and tools to live.

Our History
The St. Luke CDC  (SLCDC) was established in December of 1997 as a partnering entity of the St. Luke Baptist Church. It was organized as an independent 501©(3) Corporation committed to create a better community through various programs.

From 1998 to 2012 Shavonda Sumter served as Executive Director of SLCDC. She was instrumental in laying the foundation of all future work. She led in the creation of the House of Mercy, the Technology Center, and the Freedom School.

Antoinette Brevard served as Executive Director from 2013 to 2019. Under her leadership the SLCDC board was revamped and additional funding sources were secured to support SLCDC programs.

Ms. Brevard hosted two very successful events to support CDC programs and it was also during her tenure that SLCDC became involved in re-entry. She is also credited for her work in helping SLCDC establish partnerships with the Paterson Alliance, North Jersey Food Bank, the Taub Foundation and other agencies that have helped us broaden our efficiency in all that we do.

In 1998 the St. Luke CDC opened Christhouse which serves as a Food and Clothing Distribution Center. The center is housed at 269 Fair Street, and is open three days per week. Staffed by church and community volunteers, the center provides fresh food and quality pre-owned clothes to community residents in need. Food is provided by community donations and local partnerships including the North Jersey Food Bank. Clothing is provided by private donations and through other local partnerships. Twenty people comprise the Christhouse staff.

In 2003 in partnership with the City of Paterson Department of Recreation, the St. Luke CDC established:
           - An after school program, (ASAP) After School Assistance Program - The program operates throughout the                school year from 3:30pm-6:30pm. The program is housed at the St. Luke Resource Center (128 Carroll        
             Street) and serves 20 children with a staff of four part time employees. There is no cost to attend the
             program.
           - A summer camp, (KKK) Kamp Kreative Kidz - The summer camp operates in July and August of each year.
             We annually have 100 campers with a paid volunteer staff of 20. The campers are given the opportunity to
             share in a mixture of recreational, athletic, educational and artistic programs throughout the summer
             experience. There is no cost to attend the camp.

In 2003 the House of Mercy was dedicated. HOM is a transitional house for women who are coming out of incarceration, rehabilitation or some type of supervised housing and working on re-acclimating into society. Since its opening, HOM has helped hundreds of women begin their lives again.

In 2004 in partnership with a local developer, SLCDC helped to build two family homes in Paterson's 4th Ward. It was also in 2004 that the Summer Youth Employment Program was initiated. This program partnered with a variety of public and private agencies in the North Jersey area to provide meaningful summer employment opportunities for youth of the city.

SLCDC recruited, trained and placed the youth in their respective places of employment and also paid one half of the summer wage for each youth.

In 2005 the St. Luke CDC became host to Paterson's first Freedom School in partnership with the Children's Defense Fund. Freedom School is a summer educational program to help students to overcome the summer lag that negatively affects urban children. The innovative curriculum is taught to children in grades K-8 by current college students or recent college graduates who are thoroughly trained by the CDF staff. The curriculum is also fused with socially conscious themes. The program which is free to participants, also includes community involvement, parent participation and social action. A staff of 15 operates this program.

In an effort to address literacy, the Reading Assistance Program (RAP) as established in 2006. Constance Harrell developed the program and operated it, providing assistance to children and adults. Sins 2016 Linda Miller leads this program.

The Board of Directors of SLCDC is proud of the programs that it has created to fulfill its mission in improving the quality of life in the City of Paterson.