Working To Enhance The Quality Of Life
In Baltimore And In Maryland.

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The Work First Foundation

With funding from the Abell Foundation, in 2009, America Works (through its nonprofit Work First Foundation) launched the Baltimore Ex-Offender Reentry Employment Program.  The program provides a two-week-long job-readiness workshop for cohorts of six to seven ex-offenders.  The program targets ex-offenders under 40 years of age, and those who have been recently released from prison or jail.  To date,1,123 ex-offenders have graduated from the two-week training course, with 663 being placed into jobs (a 59 percent job placement rate).  Participants earned an average of $9.39 at placement, wi

Tahirih Justice Center

The Tahirih Justice Center was founded in 1997 to represent women and girls seeking protection from gender-based human rights abuses. Partnering with an extensive network of pro bono attorneys, Tahirih provides legal services to protect clients from immediate danger and to assist them in gaining asylum relief, aid under the federal Violence Against Women Act, and visas for victims of trafficking. This grant supported legal services for 250 women and girls in Baltimore City and surrounding areas, and case management services for 75 clients. 

St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore, Inc.

The Beans & Bread Center, a St. Vincent de Paul program, provides a wide range of services on-site that address the needs of the chronically homeless, including housing, health care, recovery, and employment. This grant supported the Beans & Bread homeless day resource in providing a day shelter, intake and engagement, case management, meals, hygiene supplies, showers, laundry, assistance securing personal identification, and access to phones and mail services. The center operates seven days a week and serves more than 400 meals a day. 

Soccer Without Borders Baltimore

Soccer Without Borders operates year-round soccer and academic support programs for refugee, asylee and immigrant youth. Founded in 2009, they serve almost 500 students statewide through after-school, summer, and mentoring initiatives, and uses an English Language Development-integrated soccer curriculum that allows participants to improve their English proficiency. This grant supported the high school program for 100 youth in Baltimore City. 

ShareBaby, Inc.

Part of a national network of "diaper banks," ShareBaby provides diapers and other critical baby supplies to low income parents in Baltimore.  ShareBaby partners with a wide range of other organizations, including homeless service and domestic violence programs, family support centers, home visiting programs, and programs serving refugees and asylees, to distribute these essential items to famiilies for whom the cost of diapers can be an insurmountable expense. This grant provides operating support for ShareBaby.      

Rose Street Community Center

Since February 2000, with support from the Abell Foundation, the Rose Street Community Center (Rose Street) has offered small weekly stipends (no more than $10 a day) to community residents in exchange for participation in daily community cleanups or gang mediation meetings.  Last year, Rose Street served more than 120 people per week.  Over 20 percent of those served each week (approximately 25 people) reside in Rose Street’s six transitional houses.  Those residing in the houses participate daily in community cleanups.

ReBuild Metro

For over a decade, ReBUILD Metro (formerly TRF Development Partners) has been building market stabilizing affordable housing in East Baltimore to create opportunity and wealth for low-income residents. The organization renovates vacant houses and builds new product for rent and for sale through their partnership with BUILD and local churches, sustaining both local construction jobs and small contractor businesses. This spring and summer seasons yielded unusually heavy rains, straining the existing roofing system of their headquarter building and cutting short its expected useful life.

Public Justice Center, Inc.

Public Justice Center (PJC) is leading a multi-year campaign to research and advocate for changes in rental laws and processes that limit tenant rights and deny due process. Their “Justice Diverted” report demonstrated through tenant surveys and court case analysis the imbalance between treatment of tenant rights and landlord obligations by judges in Baltimore City’s “Rent Court” in the District Court.

NPower, Inc.

In 2016, with support from the Abell Foundation and others, NPower replicated its IT training program for low-income young adults in Baltimore.  NPower's core training program begins with 15 weeks of classroom instruction that prepares participants for industry certifications. The academic portion focuses on teaching fundamental IT skills, including operating systems, servers, network security, and databases.

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