“I don’t know what direction I might be going if it weren’t for YouthWorks. It has made the difference between a job and a career for me,” Taylor Jones said. 

Mayor’s Office of Employment Development will receive support from Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund to replicate proven municipal financial counseling model

The national Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) announced that they have selected Baltimore City to replicate the proven Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) model under the nationwide FEC Public national platform. The Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED) will receive support to bring free, professional, one-on-one financial counseling as a public service to Baltimore City residents.

“I am the first in my family to graduate from college. My fourteen siblings root me on and I want to be a strong role model for the younger kids in my family,” Shamia Boone said.

In 2012 a good friend recommended Alexis to the Eastside Youth Opportunity Center (YO Baltimore) for assistance in obtaining a GED. “When I first went there I was very standoffish, like I didn’t want to be there,” Alexis said. After she met with staff at the center, she became more comfortable and was able to get serious about accomplishing her goals. “YO is really like a family,” she said.