Authored By: The Circuit Trails

Jackie Santiago, executive director of Neighborhood Collaborative Community Gardens (NCCG), finds immense joy and purpose on the Camden Greenways Trail, which runs through her hometown in Camden, New Jersey. The trail provides a safe and scenic pathway for residents, connecting the community.

WATCH NOW: Jackie shares how she helps beautify on the Circuit

“I love the trails because it gives an opportunity for residents to walk on a safer pathway that people can identify,” Jackie said. “Most of the time, people don’t understand that the trails are right in their own neighborhoods, and they can walk from here all the way down to East Camden.”

Jackie’s started NCCG in 2017 as a way to provide a safe place for her child and other local children to play. The organization has since expanded to care for numerous lots along the Camden Greenways Trail.

“Spending time on the trails makes me feel happy, especially here on the Camden Greenways,” Jackie said. “There’s this stereotype that everybody in Camden doesn’t know how to take care of their environment. What I like to do is show them that I’m also a Camden resident. I live one block away from the trails, and this is how beautiful we keep our community.”

Jackie takes full advantage of the trail’s presence, often involving her NCCG interns, volunteers and community residents in beautification projects.

“All of these green spaces that we take care of are directly on the Camden Greenways from the 300 block of Erie Street to the 800 block of Erie Street.”

As a grantee of Circuit Trails Coalition Community Grant Program, NCCG has been able to support its interns with a living wage. One notable project funded by this grant was the creation of an environmental sustainability coloring book that details all the Circuit Trails found in Camden. “This is a coloring book that [the interns] wrote themselves, illustrated and bound.” 

One of Jackie’s favorite memories on the trails is being able to walk outside her front door, sit down under the shaded pergola, and enjoy fresh cherry tomatoes from her garden.

Jackie encourages all Camden residents to explore the trails. “I would highly encourage all my Camden residents to explore the trails because there is so much to see. Every neighborhood is just a little bit different in how they take care of their trails,” she said. “When I’m walking outside or working in the gardens, I feel like I’m getting a healthy workout in my own community. I don’t have to pay for a gym membership because I have the resources in my backyard.”

Explore more stories of people like Jackie who use the Circuit Trails for fun, relaxation, connection, community and more. Next time you’re out #OnTheCircuit, snap a few photos and share them with us using #OnTheCircuit and tagging us on Facebook, X (Formerly Twitter), Instagram and TikTok.