Rosita Abney, Employment Specialist at PACS (Sojourner-Douglass College)

Training specialist helps transform the ex-offender, the hungry, the broken

(BALTIMORE - August 16, 2008) - Rosita Abney, an employment specialist at Sojourner-Douglass College’s Professional And Continuing Studies Division (PACS), is no stranger to assisting Baltimoreans in the search for gainful employment.

And of all of the many employment programs I’ve worked, this one was the most rewarding for me. Mind you, this Environmental Tech program was specifically for ex-offenders. Now, we have people calling from all over the city wanting to get in. Most of the guys, however, are really disappointed because the program is not in their area [Park Heights].

With over 10-years experience at the former Baltimore Empowerment Zone (Empower Baltimore Management Corporation), Abney is a critical member of Ann Bostic’s staff.

Bostic, the Director of  PACS, said she is truly blessed and grateful for her dynamic staff – including Abney.

“With over 75 years of collective experience in helping people in Baltimore attain new careers, our staff is one of the most committed and faithful groups of people I have ever known,” Bostic said. “Every single day they come to work with a passion in their eyes for the work they so humbly perform. Each and every one of them is truly a blessing.”

Recently, PACS celebrated one of many employment training graduations.

This one, however, was truly unique. It was specifically designed for ex-offenders from Baltimore’s Park Heights community. Park Heights, located in the northwest section of the city, has its fair share of socio-economic challenges. Like many urban centers across the nation, drugs and crime are no strangers to residents.  

Yet, assisting in the transformation of these survivors did not intimidate Bostic’s staff – including Abney. So, when graduation day came, it was not just a victory for the participants. It was a huge accomplishment for Bostic and her staff. To see the winds of change happen before one’s very eyes was a sort of epiphany.

“I was ecstatic on the day of graduation,” said Abney. “I was so excited because these 23 guys and 2 ladies really wanted it. They never missed a day from class. They were always here, always ‘chin up’.

She continued, “Once our part of the training was completed, we had five employers come here to interview them for potential jobs – including Johns Hopkins Hospital which is just a block away from our offices.”

This is where the caring and sharing of Bostic’s staff reached new heights. Because many of the participants had not been in the workforce for so long, something as simple as a new suit or a dress for the interview would mean so much.

“We provided clothes for their interviews,” said Abney. A well-dressed professional – as is Bostic – Abney said, “On the day of the interview, they were sharp. They turned heads. When they came through the halls, everybody said, ‘Oh my goodness.’ And the participants felt so good about themselves. You could see it on their faces.”

Abney said that even more, “They came here and aced all of their interviews.”

She said that it was certainly a “180” from when they first came to PACS.

She stated, “Some guys walked here. Some guys didn’t have money. Our director sometimes bought breakfast for them ... lunch for them.”

Bostic and Abney agreed that said such small gestures of encouragement do wonders for those in need.

Abney said, “Today, they come back just to say thanks.”

All 25 participants of the EVS are now gainfully employed.

“This was incredibly rewarding for me,” Abney said. “I’ve spent 10 years at Empower Baltimore Management Corporation. And of all of the many employment programs I’ve worked, this one was the most rewarding for me. Mind you, this Environmental Tech program was specifically for ex-offenders. Now, we have people calling from all over the city wanting to get in. Most of the guys, however, are really disappointed because the program is not in their area [Park Heights]. So, we are really interested in expanding this program. I’m really hopeful of a new program that will be able to serve people irrespective of their addresses. I’m really looking forward to the next challenge.”