Holland America Line’s president Orlando Ashford was named the 2017 StreetWise Champion at a 20th anniversary celebration breakfast earlier this week. During the event in New York City, Ashford was recognized for his commitment to working with low-income individuals in underserved areas to develop their workplace skills and realize their career potential.
The event brought 300 corporate executives together, as well as philanthropists and community members who came to honor Ashford and share their commitment to StreetWise’s mission. Ashford previously served on the board of directors of StreetWise Partners and is only the second champion they have named.
About StreetWise Partners
StreetWise Partners is the only standalone mentoring program in the country that focuses on workforce development. Their goal is to gather the mentoring resources of the private sector to reduce unemployment in low-income communities of NYC and Washington, DC.
Since 1997, the organization has served 3,000 mentees through the help of 7,000 volunteers. StreetWise pairs business professionals with trainees who are unemployed to provide them the resources, skills, and access to networks that they need to find employment and maintain it. Annually the organization serves over 300 trainees and transitions graduates from a personal income of $7,000 to $30,000.
For more information on StreetWise Partners, visit streetwisepartners.org.
