Baltimore City Deconstruction Project Named National Award-Winning Program in Mutual of America's 2018 Community Partnership Award Competition

NEW YORK, Nov. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Mutual of America announced today that Baltimore City Deconstruction Project received this year's Governor Hugh L. Carey Award, presented annually to the national award-winning program in its 2018 Community Partnership Award competition.

The program was started by Humanim in 2014 through a pioneering collaboration with Baltimore City Housing and the Office of Sustainability. Together, they created the first municipal contract to dismantle by hand, rather than wrecking ball, abandoned buildings as part of a blight elimination, economic development and workforce strategy.

Humanim is deconstructing vacant houses in Baltimore's hardest-hit neighborhoods, hiring and training residents to do the work. Many workers were formerly incarcerated and trying to change their lives; today, all earn a living wage and are eligible for raises and benefits as they gain experience. As they take apart buildings much of the materials saved are being sold through a sales and distribution channel for reclaimed brick and board that Humanim developed. Rather than ending up in landfills, 1.2 million bricks and more than 425,000 board feet of lumber have been salvaged and sold in 20 states and six countries to date. Once the buildings are cleared, Humanim makes way for the City of Baltimore and the U.S. Forest Service to turn the empty lots into green spaces.

"The Baltimore City Deconstruction Project is a win for the city, for residents who might not otherwise find work and for the environment. Over 185 individuals have been employed to-date, and in the past two and a half years, not a single previously incarcerated worker has reoffended," said Henry Posko, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Based on this success, the State of Maryland has agreed to expand our program to develop employment opportunities for other returning citizens."

About the Mutual of America Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Community Partnership Award annually honors the outstanding contributions that nonprofit organizations, in partnership with public, private and other social sector organizations, make to society. Since 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 230 partnerships from cities and towns across America. To watch videos of all of the national award-winning programs, visit the Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award channel on YouTube.

About Mutual of America

Mutual of America has specialized in providing retirement products and related services to organizations and their employees, as well as individuals, for over 70 years. As a mutual company, we do not have stockholders and are not publicly traded. We operate solely for the benefit of our customers, managing the Company for their long-term interest, rather than for the short-term demands of stockholders.

Mutual of America is a leading provider of retirement products, offering personalized service at a competitive price to help plan participants and individuals build and preserve assets for a financially secure future. Integrity, prudence, and reliability are the values that have guided us since our inception and that continue to serve us well. For more information, please visit us at mutualofamerica.com.

SOURCE Mutual of America

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