Want help finding a meaningful job, but don’t think you qualify to get assistance from Catholic Charities? Think again.

As of late February, any city resident looking for work—from any situation, education level, background, or income level—can find assistance at Our Daily Bread Employment Center. The center, located at 725 Fallsway, joins My Brother’s Keeper in West Baltimore as established Catholic Charities job hubs under the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Employment Development.

It’s a significant expansion of the service usually provided at programs like these.

“We prioritize placement and job readiness training, but because most of the neighbors who come to us have significant challenges to employment, we’re more likely to provide readiness training,” said Client Employment Services Manager Kevin Creamer. “Our thinking is that the addition of a job hub expands the audience we can serve effectively for those who are more ready to move into placement services and immediately start looking for work.”

As part of its work to empower careers, Catholic Charities has long offered hard- and soft-skills training, computer literacy, résumé writing, job search and placement assistance, and more. Some programs even offer specialized training for specific areas of work. In fiscal year 2022, even amid pandemic isolation, 203 individuals received job training and 110 found meaningful work through Catholic Charities’ services.

But the addition of another community job hub service means an ability to provide resources to more individuals from the surrounding area. By and large, Our Daily Bread Employment Center has assisted individuals experiencing homelessness and obstacles to employment who require greater preparation. The Community Job Hub distinction includes a staff person from the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development who works with individuals who are farther long on their jobseeking path, but may not otherwise be able to access support or computer literacy training that goes beyond basics.

“The next closest job hub is Waverly, then Govans, and Greenmount Avenue,” said Creamer, highlighting how far north those locations are from the Fallsway. “We’re increasingly hoping that we reach neighborhoods and communities.”

Aside from filling that gap, the main distinction between this service and those that existed before at Our Daily Bread Employment Center is access to the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development jobs pipeline. While anyone, including individuals with Ph.D.s, can search the portal the city provides, the job hubs program provides advanced training that goes beyond what Our Daily Bread Employment Center’s pre-existing services provided.

“We’ll still be there to provide job readiness training,” Creamer said. “But the job hub is a faster road to placement for those who are ready for that.”

Individuals who are interested in that assistance can book appointments to meet with the staff specialist.