Community Education Centers (CEC)’s residents from the Albert M. “Bo” Robinson Assessment and Treatment Center’s Columbus House, joined CEC Alumni members on a beautiful April day to volunteer for the Urban Farm Project. Capital City Farm is a local Trenton, New Jersey, urban farm initiative that grows food and supplies it to area soup kitchens and the needy. The farm welcomes volunteers who help out with garden work, and the CEC volunteers did a great job weeding, planting, mulching and cleaning up the gardens that will produce an ample summer harvest for the soup kitchen.
“We are pleased to be able to lend a hand to this worthwhile project which helps give new life to our urban areas and our residents,” said Arthur Townes, New Jersey Director of Alumni Services. “Alumni members are proud to support the community and help current residents of Columbus House by demonstrating that living right can be rewarding and enjoyable.”
Capital City Farm is a two-acre lot that was purchased by the City in 2014, and remediated in 2015 to be transformed into an urban garden. These farm projects are proving successful in many ways; they provide a green space in urban areas, grow fresh and affordable food, and provide healthy activity and employment for youth and adults.
Residents and alumni alike enjoyed the fresh air and an opportunity to give back to the community in a positive manner. Many expressed a desire to visit the garden again and provide additional help at Capital City Farm.
Columbus House is the mental health treatment facility at CEC’s “Bo” Robinson Assessment and Treatment Center located in Trenton. The Columbus House program focuses on mental health treatment for those incarcerated has yielded positive results in a 2013 evaluation for program value and definitiveness. The internal program review was done in conjunction with Dr. Kirk Heilbrun, Professor and senior researcher for the Department of Psychology at Drexel University.
The treatment program at Bo Robinson consists of carefully selected therapeutic services starting with a comprehensive assessment, individual and group counseling, cognitive-behavioral training, substance abuse treatment, educational services, life skills, cultural diversity programs, family program, workforce development activities, work release services, and faith-based services.
CEC is a leading national provider of rehabilitative services for offenders in reentry and in-prison treatment facilities, as well as providing comprehensive management of county, state, and federal jail and detention facilities. The Company provides evidence-based programming for residential and non-residential clients and maintains a documented record of reducing recidivism. CEC services also include drug and alcohol testing by SECON, a comprehensive drug testing and screening company that provides services worldwide.
