CASA de Maryland, Inc.
The Baltimore Welcome Center provides employment placement services for day laborers and low-income workers who begin to assemble early in the morning in the hope of being selected for jobs in construction, landscaping, home improvement, sanitation, and other day-to-day, physical labor-intensive jobs. In the coming year, CASA plans to place workers in 1,700 daily jobs, 40 temporary/seasonal jobs, and 35 permanent jobs; to provide 50 people with legal consultation on immigration, employment, or housing matters; to provide 500 people with basic financial education/counseling, and 300 low-income households with free tax preparation services; and to educate 200 eligible Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) about the naturalization process.
Bon Secours Baltimore Health System Foundation
Funding from the Abell Foundation will support Bon Secours Baltimore Community Works’ Returning Citizens program, which is designed to help 100 returning citizens break the cycle of incarceration. All program participants will receive behavioral health assessments and financial education; 70% are expected to complete TYRO, an intensive, five-week life skills course; and 65% will be placed into jobs, occupational skills training or higher education programs.
Art with a Heart
Each year, Art with a Heart teachers and assistants provide engaging, educational, and interactive visual arts classes to vulnerable Baltimore children, youth, and adults. Funding from the Abell Foundaiton will support HeARTworks, a workforce development program that uses art as a vehicle to teach job skills; HeARTwares, Art with a Heart’s social enterprise/retail store that sells HeARTworks participants’ artwork; and arts integration, Art with a Heart’s engaging visual arts programs that supplement academic curricula in Baltimore elementary/middle schools.
Jane Addams Resource Corporation
The Jane Addams Resource Corporation (JARC) Baltimore trains unemployed and/or underemployed Baltimore City residents in welding and computer numerical control (CNC) at the Regional Skills Training Center on Park Heights Avenue in West Baltimore. With funding from the Abell Foundation, students receive hands-on training and earn industry-recognized credentials in a work-like environment. Beyond technical skills training, JARC Baltimore provides employment readiness and financial support services to trainees during and after training. Graduates are placed into jobs earning an average starting wage of $16 per hour.
Center for Urban Families, Inc.
The Center for Urban Families (CFUF) works to strengthen urban communities by helping fathers and families achieve stability and economic success. STRIVE Baltimore, the cornerstone of CFUF’s programming, is a strict, demanding, three-week workshop that focuses on workplace behavior, appearance, and attitude. Upon completion of training, STRIVE graduates are placed in jobs, and are followed by STRIVE staff for two years. Last year, CFUF placed 37 STRIVE graduates and 159 other participants into jobs, earning an average wage of $14.12 per hour.