Job fair for squeegee workers held days before restrictions begin

Before squeegee restrictions go into effect Tuesday, the Squeegee Collaborative, created by Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, held a job fair at the UA House at Fayette in Jonestown.

The collaborative released its action plan in November, part of which outlines six pilot zones where panhandling and solicitations would be documented and penalized. These intersections are:

Wabash Avenue and Northern Parkway. Mount Royal Avenue, North Avenue and Interstate 83.

Sinclair Lane and Moravia Road. President Street, Jones Falls Expressway and I-83.

Martin Luther King Boulevard and I-395. Conway Street, Light Street and I-395. In July, Timothy Reynolds was killed following a confrontation with squeegee workers at the intersection of Light and Conway streets.

Under the plan, police will issue two warnings and a referral to services. After the first two warnings, violators would be issued a citation.

Kheyon Martin, 17, said he came to the fair to see what opportunities were available. He attended the event with two of his peers from the Academy for College and Career Exploration. All three walked over in the hopes of finding work they could do after school or on the weekends. Each member of the trio used to do squeegee work starting as young as 10 years old, though none of them squeegee anymore.

“If we were to get a job here, I’d like to learn a couple social skills to present myself better in front of people,” Kheyon said.

Kheyon’s peer, Jamari Seabrum, 16, said he was curious to see what was available. Kheyon said he expected the event to show what plans the city had for keeping kids from doing squeegee work.

“We’re all starting to grow up now,” Jamari said. “Why not look for an opportunity?”

The fair was split into two sections: resources and career opportunities. Ericca Blake Morgan, a human resources recruiter with the Baltimore City Department of Public Works, said she was excited to work with squeegee workers.

“It’s a way to get them off the street doing something more positive,” Morgan said.

She said opportunities at the department range from CDL drivers to sewage workers. Positions do not require an education minimum and start with salaries up to about $40,000.

Kheyon took a look at the offerings but figured the jobs were better suited for those no longer in high school.

Marcus Brown, outreach coordinator for the Center for Urban Families, had a table set up on the resource side of the fair. He said the organization offers to further folks’ education at Baltimore City Community College as well as provides resume help and job training. There’s also a fatherhood program that shows parents how to be effective in their child’s life and provides guidance about child support.

“We’re dedicated to helping these young men out and advancing [them],” Brown said. “It’s our job to make sure they’re taken care of.”