Center for Employment Opportunities to Expand Workforce Opportunities in Atlanta’s Historic Westside

‍Contact:

Tiffany Elder, Senior Communications Manager

telder@ceoworks.org | (323) 793-7775

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Center for Employment Opportunities to Expand Workforce Opportunities in Atlanta’s Historic Westside with Support from Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

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 $1.5 Million Investment Will Support Job Training and Placement for Justice-Impacted Residents Over 36 Months

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Atlanta, GA – March 12, 2026 – As families across Atlanta’s Historic Westside face rising housing costs and growing economic pressure, the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) is expanding access to paid work and career pathways for residents returning home from incarceration.

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CEO announces a $1,500,000, grant from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation to expand workforce services for justice-impacted residents in Atlanta’s Historic Westside. The investment will increase enrollment of Westside residents into CEO’s evidence based reentry employment program, providing immediate paid transitional work, skills training, job placement assistance, and long-term career support that leads to permanent jobs with growth potential. This effort supports the Foundation’s commitment to advancing financial security in Atlanta’s Westside through workforce development and economic opportunity in the neighborhood of English Avenue and Vine City.

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Atlanta’s Historic Westside is one of the city’s most culturally significant areas and has long been home to generations of Black families, small businesses, and community institutions. Despite its history and proximity to downtown, the community has faced decades of disinvestment, high unemployment, and concentrated poverty. In recent years, rising housing costs and rapid development have added new economic pressures for longtime residents. For individuals returning home from incarceration, these challenges can make it especially difficult to secure stable employment quickly. Expanding access to paid work, job training, and career pathways is a critical strategy for helping residents build income, remain in their communities, and contribute to long term neighborhood stability.

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“Stable employment is one of the strongest predictors of successful reentry,” said Sam Schaeffer, Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Employment Opportunities. “This investment from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation allows us to expand access to paid work, training, and career pathways in Atlanta’s Historic Westside. At a time when public funding can be uncertain, private philanthropy plays a critical role in ensuring this work continues and reaches the communities that need it most.”

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For residents returning home to Atlanta’s Historic Westside, access to immediate paid work can determine whether they stabilize quickly or struggle to regain footing. With rising living costs and limited employment opportunities for people with records, the first weeks after release are often the most critical.

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For Quanteasha, a resident of Atlanta’s Historic Westside, the biggest concern after returning home was simple and urgent: finding a job.

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Through CEO, she was connected to immediate paid work and ongoing support from a job coach who helped her navigate everything from employment opportunities to accessing clothing and food assistance resources. Having structured work and reliable income created a sense of relief during a stressful transition.

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“Financially, my biggest concern was finding a job, and CEO gave me that right away,” said Quanteasha. “Having income immediately helped me mentally because I was stressed about how my bills were going to get paid. The job coach meetings, the job leads, even help with things like clothing and food resources, it all made a difference. Stability is the true essence of life. It gives you strength, hope, and the belief that you are capable of more.”

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CEO’s model provides immediate paid transitional employment with daily pay, skills development, job placement services, and retention support to help participants secure and sustain permanent roles. Research shows that access to stable employment reduces recidivism and strengthens community safety while generating positive economic returns.

As Atlanta continues to experience rapid growth and rising costs, this collaboration reflects a shared commitment to ensuring residents returning home have a fair chance to work, contribute, and build long term stability in the communities they call home.

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About the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO)

The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides immediate, effective, and comprehensive employment services exclusively to people recently released from incarceration. CEO currently operates in 30 cities in 12 states and is dedicated to ensuring that justice-impacted people have opportunities and careers to achieve socioeconomic mobility. For more information, please visit: ceoworks.org.

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