BALTIMORE — For Lance White, the intersection of Northern Parkway and York Road in North Baltimore is familiar; he remembers his months of squeegee work at this exact location.
"It was just kind of like, trying to leave with as much money as you could every day," recalled White.
That intersection is not his office anymore.
"I worked in a hotel, I still do, actually," White told WMAR.
Squeegee work is in Lance’s rearview mirror. He now works at Hotel Revival in Baltimore after he was connected with a city initiative called 'Hire Up.'
"Any Baltimore City resident who’s underemployed or unemployed, can tap into this program," said Mack Garvin, acting director of the Mayor's Office of Employment Development.
READ MORE: Squeegee collaborative working to better the lives of youth squeegee workers
Hire Up, a transitional jobs program, has placed several squeegee workers, but is open to anyone, Garvin explained. City residents 18 and up can earn a $15 wage for at least 35 hours a week.
"We get Baltimore City residents right into jobs, typically at Baltimore City agencies, sometimes at businesses or nonprofits,” Garvin added.
"It’s a relief, really," White explained. "Just knowing you can come up from any situation and just change your life in not even a few months.”
If you're interested, you can apply on the city website.
The Hire Up program is separate from the city's Squeegee Collaborative Working Action Plan, released late last year. According to the city, Baltimore has seen a 70 percent decrease in squeegee calls since the city's squeegee collaborative was released.
