The Butterfly Senior Day Program

Pros

• They helped with essentials without making the person feel embarrassed.
• They are caring people who treat others with the utmost dignity and respect.
• The Trenton Rescue Mission saved the person's life and helped secure housing and SSDI.
• The psychiatrist provided critical support that helped the person access shelter and services.
• The woman who owns this program is very sweet and caring.
• The services are excellent.

Cons

• Camden treats the homeless like worms and subhumans, showing no compassion.
• The police and local services failed to provide real help, leaving the reviewer sleeping on a cold floor.
• Lourdes Hospital and Cooper Hospital did not offer assistance when it was needed.
• Camden County Social Services refused help because the person was not a resident, which the reviewer found impossible for someone who is homeless.
• Butterfly offices did not ensure safety for women, expelling people at 6 a.m. and creating unsafe conditions.

Review

I'm writing about a journey that stretched from gratitude to heartbreak and back again. Along the way, there were people who treated me with dignity, kindness, and a level of care that didn't shame me for my circumstances. Those moments mattered deeply. The folks who helped with essentials, who listened without judgment, and who offered me real humanity left an imprint on me. I am emotionally touched by their generosity and I will always hold them in high esteem. God bless the good-hearted people who did what they could, because their giving and caring attitudes felt contagious in the best possible way.

But the path to getting help was not simple or fair. I ran into systemic barriers that felt cruel at a time when I needed shelter and support most. I was told to go first to Camden County Social Services, only to be told that I wasn't a resident of the county and therefore could not receive their help. How can you claim residency when you are homeless and without a stable address? That rule, applied without flexibility, left me wandering a very dangerous city for an entire week, trying to find somewhere safe to be. It was a harrowing search for refuge in a place that felt relentless and unkind to those at their most vulnerable. The experience underscored how bureaucratic hurdles can eclipse any notion of compassion when people have no home to call their own.

In the meantime, I tried several hospitals, hoping for a glimmer of safety. Lourdes Hospital and Cooper Hospital did not provide the help I needed. It was Virtua that finally made a decisive difference when I was in crisis and feeling suicidal. The staff there remembered me from my past as a physician assistant student in their ER, and their care affirmed my humanity even in an incredibly vulnerable moment. They admitted me to their psychiatric unit in Mount Holly and, after a few days, their team arranged a transportation solution - bus and train tickets - to the Trenton Rescue Mission. That mission became a lifeline: they saved my life, helped me secure housing, and supported me in obtaining SSDI. I owe my life to them, and for all of that, I remain deeply grateful. Camden did nothing for me in my darkest hour, which made the contrast with Virtua even starker.

The struggle to secure shelter didn't end with hospital care. I sought help at a police station one winter night, hoping for assistance to get into a shelter. An officer promised help but did not follow through. I spent the night trying to stay warm in an unsafe, unkind city landscape - sleeping on the floor with other homeless people and feeling the cold bite at the edges of every moment. The city's response to those in need felt missing, almost non-existent, in those critical early hours. In the cold, I wandered from waiting room to waiting room, eventually returning to Cooper at dawn to find some quiet and safety. The experience left me feeling that it was heartless to send a 55-year-old woman back into the streets in the middle of winter, with no real system of compassionate support in sight. The sense that there was no genuine, consistent concern for those without a home weighed heavily on me.

There was more hardship that night at the butterfly offices, a place I reached hoping for shelter and warmth through what they call a code blue. I slept there, between two men, and at 6 AM they kicked us out. It was another painful reminder that in Camden, the homeless sometimes feel treated as if they are less than human. I heard myself being described in terms that felt demeaning, and I wondered how anyone could sleep safely with that sense of being unwelcome. The overall message was painful: in a city that already feels dangerous, the safety of women and the basic dignity of those who are vulnerable were not being prioritized. The experience left a bitter taste, and I asked for more respect and protection for women who are navigating homelessness in what is widely described as a dangerous city.

In the midst of these experiences, I found some nuance and balance that kept me from losing faith entirely. The butterfly resource center is a public space that exists to help people, and not simply to turn them away. The woman who owns this program is very sweet and caring, and there is a sense that genuine compassion can exist in places designed to help. If you are looking for help, this is a place worth considering. They're open Monday through Friday, 11 to 3 PM, and there are those times when their services feel truly excellent. It's important to acknowledge that, despite the darker days, there are accessible resources and people who want to make a practical difference, even if the system as a whole has serious gaps.

All told, my experience is a mosaic of remarkable kindness and stubborn, painful barriers. I encountered individuals and organizations that gave me real hope - like the hospital staff who recognized my humanity, the Rescue Mission that provided housing and a path toward SSDI, and the resource centers where a warm word and a safe space could still be found. At the same time, I faced a city and a network of services that too often appeared indifferent or dismissive to the basic needs of a homeless person seeking shelter and safety. I've learned to be grateful for the good souls who did what they could, even as I carry forward the memory of those cold nights, the cold floors, the cold promises, and the cold realities that many people without homes confront every day. God bless the compassionate and the resilient, and may more people with good hearts help light a path through the darkest hours.

Located in Camden, New Jersey, this area offers a variety of amenities and services that cater to seniors. With multiple hospitals nearby such as Cooper University Hospital and St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, residents have access to top-notch medical care. There are also several parks within a short distance, perfect for enjoying outdoor activities or leisurely strolls. In terms of dining options, there are popular restaurants like Chick-Fil-A and Kalaya Thai Kitchen nearby. For convenience, there are several pharmacies located within a few miles of the area. Transportation is easily accessible with Jefferson Station and 30th Street Station just a short drive away. Additionally, there are cafes like La Colombe Coffee Roasters where residents can socialize and relax. Overall, this part of Camden provides a well-rounded environment for seniors looking for quality living options.

Hospitals

• Cooper University Hospital (0.5 miles)
• Episcopal Hospital (3.8 miles)
• The Pavilion (3.9 miles)
• Veterans Administration Community Living Center (4.1 miles)
• Philadelphia VA Medical Center (4.3 miles)
• St Christopher's Hospital for Children (5 miles)
• Temple University Hospital (5.1 miles)

Parks

• Penn's Landing (1.3 miles)
• Weccacoe Park (1.6 miles)
• Race Street Pier (1.6 miles)
• Independence National Historical Park (1.8 miles)
• Franklin Square (2.1 miles)
• Christopher Columbus Park Dog Run (2.3 miles)
• Piazza Dog Park (2.4 miles)

Theaters

• Landmark Theatres - Ritz Five (1.5 miles)

Restaurants

• Chick-Fil-A (1.5 miles)
• The Franklin Fountain (1.5 miles)
• Brauhaus Schmitz (1.8 miles)
• Independence Beer Garden (1.9 miles)
• Kalaya Thai Kitchen (2 miles)
• Geno's Steaks (2 miles)
• Pat's King of Steaks (2 miles)

Pharmacies

• Rite Aid (1.9 miles)
• Rite Aid (1.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.1 miles)
• Walgreens (2.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.3 miles)

Transportation

• Jefferson Station (2.3 miles)
• 30th Street Station (3.5 miles)
• SEPTA: MFL/TRL 30th Street Station (3.6 miles)
• PATCO Westmont Station (4.4 miles)

Cafes

• La Colombe Coffee Roasters (2.6 miles)
• Elixr Coffee (2.6 miles)
• ReAnimator Coffee (2.9 miles)
• La Colombe Torrefaction (2.9 miles)
• Starbucks (4 miles)
• Jersey Java & Tea (5 miles)

Physicians

• CHOP Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care - Raymond G. Perelman Campus (3.9 miles)
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (4 miles)
• Advocare Heights Primary Care (5.1 miles)