Fall Headlines at Humanim

News . Events . Impact

HEADLINES

We are honored to be awarded Mutual of America’s 2018 National Governor Hugh L. Carey Community Partnership Award for our Baltimore City Deconstruction Project – a pioneering collaboration with Baltimore City Housing and the Office of Sustainability, U.S. Forest Service, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, national furniture retailer Room & Board, and Humanim social enterprises Details Deconstruction and Brick + Board. Mutual of America’s annual Community Partnership Award honors the outstanding contributions of nonprofit organizations who are delivering solutions to critical challenges facing our country. Learn more about the project and this prestigious award + watch the video at the Mutual of America website.

The Baltimore Wood Project and Humanim social enterprises Details Deconstruction and Brick + Board were recently highlighted on NBC Nightly News. The segment gives a peak into Humanim's deconstruction process, and how the project not only saves materials from landfills, but "reclaims neighborhoods" and "rebuilds lives." Watch the highlight here.

Humanim’s Administrative Assistant Training Program successfully graduated 13 young women and men this Fall, each of whom displayed great tenacity and heart. The training program offers a free 9-week course of instruction for Baltimore City and County residents to prepare them for careers as administrative assistants, where participants are provided soft skills and professional development training, including job shadowing, mock interviews, and job development support from our partner anchor institutions. Graduates receive two nationally-recognized certifications – the Microsoft Specialist Office Specialist certification and the Professional Administrative Certificate of Excellence, as well as job placement assistance. Humanim created the Administrative Assistant Training Program in 2015, with funding from DLLR and the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development grant, One Baltimore for Jobs (1B4J), in response to the civil unrest after the death of Freddie Gray. Key program collaborators are the Baltimore Integration Partnership (BIP) and 9 anchor institutions, who formed a partnership to leverage the economic power of “Anchor Institutions” through local hiring, local purchasing and anchor-led community development, to address economic disparities among Baltimore residents.

Our culinary social enterprises City Seeds and School of Food were recently featured on WYPR’s On The Record with Sheilah Kast. The broadcast details what our culinary social enterprise division is all about – from corporate catering and community cooking classes, to job training and employment – then takes you into the kitchen to meet the staff who make it all possible. “Our mission is to give people hope…taking people who have very little culinary experience and giving them a positive career path.” Listen to the podcast here

Team Humanim had a blast at this year’s Baltimore Running Festival, where we were able to raise over $20,000 for our programs and services. Thank you to all of you who helped us reach our fundraising goal and for your continued support. And a big thank you to our incredibly generous sponsors for their support and commitment to Humanim's mission: Baltimore Recycling Center, CBIZ, Centric Business Systems, LJW, Inc., Wright, Constable & Skeen, LLP, Alco Pharmacy, Cigna, Leonard Paper Company, the Plavier-Truitt Family, the Posko Family, Environmental Maintenance, and Acorea Enterprises.

Humanim’s Start on Success program (SOS) was launched in 1997 as a way to provide career exposure and professional development to high school students with disabilities. This award winning approach is made possible through a partnership between Humanim, the Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS), local school systems and numerous employer partners (serving as internship hosts). During their senior year, students are paid to complete internships in their field of interest with established employer partners. These partners agree to train and support the student throughout the sixteen-week internship in addition to serving as an industry advisor and providing mentorship. Outside of the internships, SOS students also receive: career assessments; classroom instruction; work-readiness training; assistance with job placement; and job support after graduation. (Read SOS student Montrey's story below!)

NEWS & EVENTS

HUMANIM IN THE PRESS

• "Mutual of America Announces 10 Recipients of 2018 Community Partnership Award" - Mutual of America
• “Chef Aharon Denrich and City Seeds Cook Up Something Good for Baltimore’s Future” -JMORE
• “Baltimore Program Aims to Help Communities By Salvaging Wood From Vacant Homes” -NBC Nightly News
• “The Baltimore Wood Project: Finding New Lives for Urban Wood and Rowhome Properties” -Northern Research Station (USDA)
• “Major deconstruction effort afoot in Baltimore, other cities follow” - Woodworking Network
• “Plano-Coudon adds new foreman to Small Projects Division” - Plano-Coudon Construction
• “Instead of Razing Buildings, Some Cities Want to Reuse Their Bones” - Pew Trusts
• “Deconstruction a potential new source of jobs for struggling cities” - The Architects Newspaper
• “Cultivating Confidence with City Seeds” - WYPR
• “City Seeds Sprouts an Opportunity in East Baltimore” The Baltimore Sun
• “A War on Crime Fought with Wood”  USA Today
• “Salvaging Baltimore with the U.S. Forest Service” Room & Board

HUMAN IMPACT

As part of Humanim’s Start on Success (SOS) program, Montrey was hired by MedStar Harbor Hospital’s Morrison Food Services department to work side-by-side with staff in 2018, where he spent time learning just about every position that Food Services has to offer. He began his internship as a utility worker - assisting in the back of the kitchen with preparing utensils, cleaning equipment, and stocking materials. It wasn’t long until management recognized Montrey’s potential, as he always finished his work early and sought out additional responsibilities.

Within two weeks Montrey transferred to the main cafeteria where he interfaced with customers, served food to guests, and provided upkeep to the eating area. When Montrey’s daily duties were completed, he finished his day in dish processing, where he efficiently sanitized high volumes of materials used throughout the day by the kitchen. Montrey never complained about the ever-expanding scope of his responsibilities; he approached each new undertaking as a challenge and a chance for him to gain a new skill – which left an impression on every staff member in the department. Throughout the internship, Montrey stayed focused on his academic obligations as well, and completed his senior year of high school with high honors, receiving over ten awards for academic achievement.

Because of his dedication and work ethic, MedStar Harbor has offered Montrey an employment opportunity within food services and happily invited the SOS program back into their kitchen for future sessions. Not only is this employment partner eager to work with our students, but they offered additional placements in new areas of the department that were previously inaccessible to SOS interns. While considering his job offer, Montrey is exploring his options for post-secondary education. He keeps in touch regularly with his coordinator and the SOS team who will continue to provide support. The SOS program is proud of his success and looks forward to working with the next generation of students for which Montrey has paved the way.

Since its inception, SOS has assisted over 700 young adults throughout Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Harford, Baltimore, and Howard counties, and Wilmington, DE, in making a successful transition from school to work. The program boasts a 90% success rate, meaning that 90% of SOS students successfully complete their internship and become employed or enrolled in postsecondary training or education after graduation.