Baltimore Health Corps Announce An Additional $2.68M In Donations, Including From The Ravens
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore Mayor Jack Young and the Baltimore Health Corps initiative on Wednesday announced an additional 10 partnerships totaling more than $2.68 million to help support the program's operations.
The Baltimore Health Corp is recruiting, training and employing more than 300 residents to serve as contract tracers and care coordinators.
In a statement, Young said the efforts to support the program "provide significant support to the City's response to COVID-19."
Health Commissioner Dr. Letitia Dzirasa echoed Young's comments, saying the partnerships will help lead the city's response.
"With our partners' help, we are able to more quickly reach those who have been confirmed to be COVID-19 positive, provide medical advice, care coordination, and limit the spread of disease transmission, all the while, employing dozens of City residents," Dzirasa said.
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Post-launch contributions were led by an additional $1 million dollars of support from The Rockefeller Foundation's Health program, $500,000 from Bank of America, $250,000 each from the Baltimore Ravens and the Abell Foundation, and $200,000 from The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.
"We're excited to not only make a difference in controlling the spread of COVID and offer employment to hundreds of residents but to also demonstrate the impact that a transitional work model – first implemented by FDR's New Deal – can make increasing employment, stimulating our economy and making our city stronger," Mayor's Office of Economic Development Director Jason Perkins-Cohen said.
The Baltimore Health Corps program also received contributions since launch from the Maryland Department of Labor's Dislocated Worker Grant, The Hoffberger Foundation, The Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Baltimore Gas & Electric, and the COVID-19 Evolving Community Needs Fund at the Baltimore Community Foundation. The program also received in-kind contributions from Indeed.com to support the recruitment process.
"We're committed to supporting measures that positively impact the health and safety of our community," Ravens president Dick Cass stated. "Not only does COVID-19 tracing play a critical role in helping Baltimore overcome the effects of the pandemic, but this program creates local job opportunities for people seeking employment."
Since the program has launched the city received more than 6,697 applications of which 139 have accepted offers. Seventy-three people have started working.
The city is pacing to hire 20 staff per week on eight- to ten-month contracts.
The Baltimore Health Corps is hiring immediately. More information about the program can be found at https://coronavirus.baltimorecity.gov/baltimore-health-corps, while those looking to apply can go to https://www.baltimorecorps.org/baltimore-health-corps.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
