Our Programs
Making the Community a Better Place For All of Us
WORKFORCE
OWA Workforce Program’s Aim is to reduce unemployment and underemployment in Baltimore by enhancing the skills of its residents. Our workforce program provides training to Baltimore residents aimed at helping them earn a job, get promoted, and trained on water restoration skills. OWA will meet with participants once per week for 2 hours for 8 weeks. Participants receive soft skills development, “How to Interview”, managing job conflict, importance of a bank acct., Budgeting 101, guidance to a 700 credit score.
Goals:
– Prepare participants to be employable with a livable wage
- Provide skill training
- Provide job placement
- Support participants through their employment experience
- Goal of 80% retention
- Consistent follow-up with employers
MENTORSHIP
OWA New Mindset Mentorship
The circumstances and daily environment that many of Baltimore City youth experience is absolutely heartbreaking. Despite this reality, we cannot help but remain passionate and optimistic that we have found an answer that works for these young men. Our mentors commit to show up at middle schools, high schools, and community centers to give teenage boys a community of men who listen, encourage, and empower them. Approximately 40% of the boys in our Baltimore are growing up without a father.
Growing up with many community barriers and inequities, can create a negative mindset for our boys.
Our community based mentoring approach gives boys a variety of positive male role models who show up consistently, tell the truth about their struggles as men, ask the boys what kind of man they want to be, praise them for their gifts, support them when they mess up, and encourage them to become the man they want to be.
We do this by engaging the boys with the principles of 6 mindsets for them to achieve.
* Vision Mindset – Student will believe in their potential and dream big.
* Leadership Mindset – Students will accept responsibility, reject passivity and lead courageously.
* Brotherhood Mindset – Students will understand the importance of uplifting each other to achieve collective success.
* Career Mindset – Students will set professional and/or collegiate goals, develop their skills in pursuit of professions success
* Volunteer Mindset – Students will understand the importance of selfless service in hope changing their community
* Health Mindset – Students will prioritize self-care and adopt habits that promote a balanced life style
We are dedicated to providing this opportunity to every boy in need.
FOOD
Hunger is discomfort or pain caused by a lack of food. It is different from food insecurity, which means lack of regular access to safe and nutritious food for proper development and an active and healthy life.
In October 2021, Feeding America estimated that food insecurity rose from 18% to 21.7% in Baltimore City due to COVID-19, and the child food insecurity rate was estimated at 33%. OWA’s focus is to end food insecurity and decrease hunger in Baltimore City.
OWA through its network of partners and staff, food retailers, wholesalers and suppliers provides 9,166 lbs of nutritious food to Baltimore residents each month.
OWA’s 3 food insecurity focus areas are:
Improve food access
End hunger by making it easier for everyone — to access and afford food.
Examples: Food Distributions / SNAP Outreach
Integrate Nutrition
Prioritize the role of nutrition and food security in overall health, including disease prevention and management.
Examples: Diabetes/other disease workshops. Healthy eating solutions
Empower consumers to make healthy choices
Enable all people to make informed healthy choices, increase access to healthy food
Examples: Produce Box Distributions, MyPlate Strategic Partnerships,
OWA’s Food Program continues to partner and anticipate and adjust to the needs of the communities they serve. Together, we can find the most innovative ways to help the people we serve and achieve a hunger-free Nation.
VACCINE HEALTH
OWA holds multiple vaccine clinics per month to ensure that community members are safe, healthy and have the needed protections. OWA vaccine clinics provides the following vaccines free to the public – Covid-19, Shingles, Tetanus, Pneumonia, Flu and RSV.
Good vaccine health leads to the following:
*Disease prevention – Vaccines help individuals protect themselves from infectious diseases
*Saves Lives – Vaccines contribute to an individual’s long-term health by preventing the onset of certain diseases or reducing their severity.
*Community Well-Being: When a significant portion of a community is vaccinated, it leads to community immunity or herd immunity.
*Community Well-Being: When a significant portion of a community is vaccinated, it leads to community immunity or herd immunity.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE (SNAP)
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps, is a federal food aide program that helps low-income households buy the food they need for good health.
Multiple days per month Outcast Wellness Alliance travels to strategically selected community centers, faith-based organizations, and residential housing facilities to help eligible Marylanders sign up for SNAP benefits.
Every $1 in SNAP benefits spent in the community generates $1.85 in local economic activity.
SNAP benefits can ease some of the tough choices many households have to make, like deciding between food and housing, medicine, or bills as well as have an impact on food insecurity.