On July 14, 2022, Mayor Scott launched the Squeegee Collaborative – a cross-section of young people who squeegee, business, community, nonprofit and government stakeholders that will work together to reimagine the city’s comprehensive squeegee strategy. The collaborative’s approach will be rooted in equity and will work to: (1) tackle the systems that contribute to the challenges faced by squeegee workers, (2) address the safety of squeegee workers and motorists and (3) bring together community members and squeegee workers to adopt a final set of recommendations to address the challenges and opportunities squeegeeing presents to the Baltimore community.
Collaborative Leadership
Mayor Scott appointed Joe Jones, CEO and Founder of the Center for Urban Families and John Brothers, President of the T. Rowe Price Foundation to serve as Co-Chairs of the Squeegee Collaborative. Additionally, Faith Leach, Deputy Mayor of Equity, Health and Human Services will serve as the Administration lead on the collaborative. Together, the Squeegee Collaborative leadership team will manage a comprehensive process that centers the voice and lived experience of squeegee workers, community members, employees and motorists. The collaborative will leverage expert facilitators such as Dr. Kyla Liggett Creel, Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work and Fagan Harris, CEO of Baltimore Corp.
BUILDING AND CONNECTING
The Scott Administration is building on the 90 Day Squeegee Action Plan released in November, 2022. Since November, the Mayor’s Office of African American Male Engagement (MOAAME):
- Connected 42 youth to subsidized employment in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development.
- Piloted a same day work program in partnership with the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, which employed 24 young people to supplement the Downtown Partnership’s Clean Corp during CIAA.
- Made 19 additional employment offers for jobs at government agencies during the July 7th job readiness event and hiring fair at the Reginald F Lewis Museum.
- MOAAME has engaged 30 youth, half of which are youth that squeegee in a summer rites of passage program at Coppin State University as part of YouthWorks.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE SQUEEGEE COLLABORATIVE
The Squeegee Collaborative is committed to including bold ideas, suggestions and recommendations from Baltimorean’s city-wide during our strategy development process. There are multiple ways to get involved!
RESOURCES TO THE CORNER
Are you a business or community based organization looking to support Baltimore youth?
Resources to the Corner events connect youth that squeegee with resources on the corners where they squeegee. We work with partners to connect youth with the following:
-Employment resources
-Community resources
-Mental Health resources
-School Enrollment
-Mentorship
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Tracey Estep
443-750-042