Women’s History Month Profile: Jannette Ramos
Photo of Jannette Ramos courtesy of City of Camden website
EDITOR’S NOTE: During the month of March, Front Runner New Jersey.com will be posting profiles and stories on leading South Jersey women of color in recognition of Women’s History Month. This is part of that series.
BY CLYDE HUGHES | AC JosepH Media
CAMDEN – Jannette Ramos as represented the Fourth Ward on Camden’s city council since 2023, bringing her life full circle from growing up on some of the city’s toughest streets to become one of its elected leaders.
She is the founder of It Takes a Village Housing, born out of her experience growing up in North Camden in a household of eight children and her professional career as a social worker. As a single mother of two, she earned her bachelor’s and master’s in social work from Rutgers University-Camden.
Ramos worked more than two decades in the state’s Division of Child Protection and Permanency as a social worker, assisting families struggling with addiction, homelessness and trauma. In an effort to support families instead of punish them as they went through those events, Ramos started her nonprofit.
It Takes a Village Housing provides safe housing and wraparound services for mothers in recovery and their children.
Rising as a Community Leader
Ramos’ community involvement has grown steadily. She served on:
• CAMcare Health Corporation Board
• Camden Rotary and Friends
• Planning Board
• Camden Strong–Clean Camden Campaign
• Cathedral Kitchen and Salvation Army Kroc Center volunteer teams
Her work extended beyond policy into hands-on service—cleanups, food distribution, youth programs, and neighborhood events.
She also authored the book “Where’s Mom” in 2019, which explores the impact of parental involvement on children, drawing from her own experiences and the families she served as a social worker.
While on city council, Ramos has advocated for policies that protect vulnerable families and expand access to stable housing. Those include health equity, youth and family support and poverty.
She has built a strong connect with those in her district because she has been in their shoes and lived many of their lives.
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