Established in 1996, St. James Social Service Corporation (SJSSC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in the Central Ward of Newark, New Jersey. It was founded in response to cutbacks in public subsidized housing, welfare, etc. in the 1990s, which adversely affected mostly the predominantly African American community and other minorities in Newark. These types of situations created the need for a full- time social service entity in the Central Ward of the city, which became known as St. James Social Service Corporation. The organization's mission is to “support the family unit by helping to change the economic circumstances and improving the overall quality of life for children, the elderly, low-income families, the working poor and the homeless.” St. James has programming benefitting the community which include an Emergency Food Pantry, Soup Kitchen, HIV Testing & Counseling, Homeless Prevention and a Senior Isolation Program.