View the original press release here.
Partnership Advances Squeegee Collaborative Action Plan, Aims to Deliver Same-Day Payments to Former Squeegee Workers.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, UNITED STATES, June 21, 2023 – Today, Mayor Scott announced a pilot program aimed to provide former squeegee workers with same-day work opportunities and a daily stipend beginning the week of June 19, 2023.
In partnership with Rellevate Inc., a digital payment services provider, the Same Day Work Pilot Pay further expands the mission of the Mayor’s Office of African American Male Engagement (MOAAME) and the City’s Squeegee Collaborative Action Plan, by providing former squeegee workers with same-day work opportunities and swift payment of a daily stipend via a Rellevate Digital Account with Visa Debit Card.
MOAAME coordinates the Same Day Work Pilot with collaborating partners in four or five-hour increments. Young people, ages 14 to 24, who are engaged in MOAAME’s Connect 2 Success program are eligible to participate in same-day work opportunities.
“The Squeegee Collaborative Action Plan has become a landmark success story of the work that the Mayor’s Office of African American Male Engagement (MOAAME) is doing all across Baltimore, and the Same Day Work Pilot will further extend their reach,” said Mayor Brandon Scott. “Our overall mission has been to provide these industrious young men with the opportunity to build on their unique skill sets and build successful futures for themselves, their families, and their communities. This pilot program is an outgrowth of what we’ve learned in this effort to date and will help set the stage for our success to continue. I want to thank all of our partners who are investing in and embracing this approach that is helping change the lives of so many Baltimoreans.”
Understanding that some may not be able to sustain without daily payment, the Same Day Work Pilot is designed to offer an alternative to the “fast cash” that former squeegee workers have identified as one of the biggest appeals of that work.
“As a digital fintech company, Rellevate is dedicated to empowering middle-and-lower income consumers through leading-edge payment technology,” said Stewart A. Stockdale, Rellevate Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO. “With the City of Baltimore and the MOAAME commitment to innovation to offer the Rellevate Digital Account as the payment mechanism for these young men to be able to easily pay bills, purchase groceries, send money to family and friends, etc., it mirrors our commitment to financial education and inclusion. Empowering Americans to affordably access, move and use their money – anytime, anywhere.”
In July 2022, Mayor Scott convened a Squeegee Collaborative to address the systemic barriers that result in some taking to Baltimore’s highly trafficked intersections to squeegee car windshields.
Over the past year, the Squeegee Collaborative –– comprised of former squeegee workers, business leaders, community members, as well as nonprofit and government stakeholders –– developed a comprehensive strategy to tackle the systems that contribute to the challenges faced by squeegee workers, address the safety of squeegee workers and motorists, and adopt a set of 18 recommendations to address the challenges and opportunities squeegeeing presents to the Baltimore community.
The recommendations crossed a set of key domains—Support Services, Accountability, Governance, Data & Measurement. The third and sixth recommendations within the Support Services domain advised connecting squeegee workers with workforce opportunities and incentivizing them, respectively. To further these recommendations, the Squeegee Collaborative piloted a same-day work program in partnership with the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore.
“Rellevate’s tailored disbursement products use the latest advances in digital technologies, behavioral dynamics, and new data management tools that can now enable State Governments and Cities greater personalized disbursement services for their constituents, just as the Rellevate Digital Account can enable these micro disbursements for the City of Baltimore,” said Greg Schneider, Rellevate Co-Founder, and CIO.
MOAAME leads the care coordination and support of these young people through outreach and engagement, sharing available support services, and informing them of the accountability protocol.
Through the work of MOAMME and the support of numerous partners, there has been an overall decrease in calls related to squeegeeing and a 70 percent decrease in criminal activity associated with squeegee. They are actively providing support services to nearly 150 youth — two of whom recently graduated from high school.
“In order for great ideas to be manifested in Baltimore for the purpose of improving life chances for Boys and Young Men of Color (BYMOC), those who lead in spaces with BYMOC must acquire the skill of building Quality Connected Relationships with boys and men as an essential precursor to influencing their hearts and minds toward positive and constructive pathways forward,” said Dr. Andrey L. Bundley, Director of MOAAME.
To learn more about the Squeegee Collaborative, visit https://aamebaltimore.com/about-squeegee-collaborative/.
About Rellevate, Inc.
Rellevate, Inc. is a digital fintech company dedicated to empowering consumers through innovative financial and payment services that allow them to access, move and use their money – anytime. The company’s suite of financial services, offered primarily via employers and the public sector, includes the Pay Any-Day Product, a Digital Account with a Visa Debit Card, Bill Pay, & Money Send, Rellevate PayCard, Disbursement Products, and also Gift and Incentive Cards. For more information on Rellevate and Rellevate’s digital financial services, visit www.rellevate.com or contact Rellevate at info@rellevate.com.
Rellevate Visa® Debit Card is issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa® U.S.A Inc.
Rellevate facilitates banking services through Sutton Bank, Member FDIC.
Michele Sullender
Rellevate, Inc.
msullender@rellevate.com
