When it comes to serving the disadvantaged and the formally incarcerated, the City of Indianapolis is heading in the right direction. When I asked Daniel Parker, Director of the Indianapolis Department of Public Works, what motivated him and his team to work with Keys to Work Staffing he said, “The DPW understands the importance of serving all our citizens, which includes hiring and contracting a diverse group of employees. Partnering with the Keys to Work program and ex-offenders is one of the ways we make sure to be inclusive in hiring and contract decisions.”
Keys to Work partnered with RecycleForce twelve years ago to help the men and women receiving workplace certifications and job trainings at their facility find meaningful employment. Since then, we have worked with many organizations and companies to find temporary and full-time employment for hundreds of formally incarcerated citizens.
In our world of serving formally incarcerated and disadvantaged people, “compassion” does not mean to idly sit by and hope for a better life for our clients.
Our relationships with the City of Indianapolis and the Department of Public Works not only help employ our clients, they have shown us that our community’s leadership is dedicated to serving people regardless of their past. For example, the City’s Pathway to Employment program has helped over 100 people abandon panhandling to receive on-the-job training at RecycleForce and employment, thanks to our services.
Beyond getting a job and earning a wage, our clients are proud and find dignity in working for the City of Indianapolis. They will walk miles, ride bicycles in inclement weather, or use public transportation to be at their job and ready to work at 6 AM. Our clients know that if they are on-time and work hard they will be recognized for their efforts and labor. Some people may find this nonsensical, for everyone should be on time and work hard. For those who believe this seemingly simple concept is a universal norm, I ask that you understand that most of our clients have lived in poverty-stricken communities all of their lives with few if any role models who are employed. We must have compassion for those who are trying to free themselves from the grip of poverty, despair, and all too often, incarceration.
In our world of serving formally incarcerated and disadvantaged people, “compassion” does not mean to idly sit by and hope for a better life for our clients. To us it means opening doors to education and training, and investing in people when others don’t. The City of Indianapolis “gets it”. They understand how our community, public safety, and local economy benefit from forging partnerships with organizations like RecycleForce and Keys to Work Staffing that are investing time and funds to bolster our local workforce. Mayor Hogsett and his administration and our City County Council leadership aren’t just putting our tax dollars to good use, they are also instituting policies that embrace the ideas of restorative justice – and that’s good for everyone.
Thank you,
Jannett Keesling
President, Keys to Work