(8/8/98 Baltimore AFRO-American Newspaper)
by Congressman Elijah E. Cummings
Just the other day, as I reached the door of my home, two of my neighbors approached to ask if I had a minute to talk. They wanted to know if I knew of any companies that might be hiring. From previous conversations, I knew that neither had held a steady job for more than a year. Coincidentally, I had just completed a phone conversation with a paving contractor who was holding a job fair. I told them that the company, located in Towson, would pay them up to $12 per hour, depending on their work experience. "How are we going to get there?", they asked. Neither of these gentlemen owned a car and no public transportation travels directly nor indirectly to the work site.
Many of my unemployed Baltimore City constituents, who have a high school education and some work experience, want a job. Often they are without the contacts and the transportation necessary to reach available employment in the suburbs. Nowhere was this problem more evident than in some East Baltimore neighborhoods. People wanted to work, but they could not reach the job opportunities available in Howard, Anne Arundel or Harford Counties.
Bridges to Work, a program that I strongly supported in its successful effort to acquire a federal grant, finds jobs for eligible East Baltimore adults in nearby suburbs. It also helps job seekers to prepare for and reach job interviews. Once they obtain the jobs, the program continues to provide round-trip transportation, at nominal cost, for the newly employed.
To qualify for the program, an East Baltimore resident must have a high school diploma or GED: at least six months of prior work experience, be drug free or in treatment and willing to participate in a free, five-day "job readiness" education program.
Bridges to Work is part of a national effort, backed by HUD and managed by the Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition (HEBCAC). Program Director, Linda Stewart-Byrd, has helped 165 East Baltimore residents find jobs since January of 1997. She tells me that, "[She is] determined to help an additional 500 people find jobs during August and September. The jobs are available now."
Ms. Stewart-Byrd hopes to do more than merely give people a job, however. She and her staff are working to provide meaningful, productive career opportunities. The result for many of her clients is a boost to their self esteem and income needed to support their families.
Annie, a forty-nine-year-old, single parent of three, was until recently, unemployed. Today, she is a driver for LSG Sky Chief at B.W.I. Airport. Earning $7.75 per hour with benefits, Annie says that: "Bridges inspired me to get my life back together. They motivated me to go out and succeed."
Andrew was also unemployed before enrolling in the Bridges program. Trying to take care of his grandmother and teenage daughters, without a job, was a crushing burden. Andrew is now a commercial driver for Safeway, making $600 per week and proud to be a breadwinner for his family again.
Bridges to Work is not magic, and it is not a handout. It is a helping hand to earn a living wage with dignity.
Let's work together to help our friends who are unemployed or looking for a better job. Share this information with them. Ask them to take the first step toward a new and better life by calling Ms. Byrd or Ms. McCoy at Bridges to Work (410-614-5352). Those who live nearby or lack access to a telephone can go directly to the HEBCAC office at 2026 McElderry Street.
Information is truly power if we use it. Bridges to Work provides a very strong link to opportunities. We must use this link to empower ourselves, our families and our community.
-The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings represents the 7th Congressional District of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives.