Since the 2015 riots, an initiative lead by Johns Hopkins University has provided over 300 jobs.
According to a new progress report, a Johns Hopkins University initiative to strengthen the local economy is showing promise. Following the 2015 riots, Johns Hopkins announced that the initiative - HopkinsLocal - will focus on providing jobs to members of distressed areas, and according to the progress report 304 people have found work. [gallery ids="622,623"] “This is encouraging news, for families, for our neighbors, neighborhoods, and really indeed for what is possible in Baltimore,” Ronald J. Daniels - Johns Hopkins president - said in a statement. Furthermore, Johns Hopkins University has partnered with its health system to direct $55.5 million in construction spending to businesses owned by minorities, disadvantaged businesses, and women. HopkinsLocal is using the power of the university and health system to improve the quality of life surrounding the university. Sean Smeeton, founder of Taharka Brothers Ice Cream has noticed changes: “It really helped our financial health,” he said. “We were always in survival mode, and during the off-season we’d be just robbing Peter to pay Paul, and cutting people’s hours back, and just trying to survive.”
As for the performance of the new hires, executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine Ronald Peterson noted that people hired through the initiative are proving to be the among the institutions 'best employees'. They're engaged workers who enjoy the opportunity and try to improve their skill sets.
“All of that is great for us as an employer,” Peterson told the Washington Post. “So we feel as though we’re actually doing a better job for our own organization while we’re also doing good for the city and for these folks and their families.”