Commemorating 15 Years of Employing Homeless Men
(ALLENTOWN, PA) – The Allentown Rescue Mission is celebrating the 15th anniversary of its Clean Team
Workforce. The Clean Team Workforce was created to provide full-time employment for homeless men
the day after they graduate from the Mission’s Transformation Program and to teach them skills needed
to succeed in today’s job market.
Founded in 2008, the Clean Team Workforce was modeled after the New York based program Ready
Willing Able which combines social services with paid work to help men ascend the economic ladder and
become self-sufficient. The Clean Team Workforce trains its employees, evaluates their skills, and
matches them with employers. It effectively operates as a free employment referral agency for
graduates of the Transformation Program. Employers like using the Clean Team Workforce because
there are no agency fees and no questions asked if an employee doesn’t match the company’s needs.
Over its 15 year history, the Clean Team Workforce has employed nearly 1,000 men and 53% have
successfully transitioned into permanent employment in the private sector, regaining their
independence. Additionally, 789 customers have partnered with the Clean Team Workforce to resolve
their workplace needs and provide meaningful jobs for men working to become self-reliant.
Best known for its litter collecting, the Clean Team Workforce received its first City of Allentown
contract in 2011 to pick up trash and recyclables. Since that time, the Clean Team Workforce has
removed approximately 1.2M pounds of trash and recyclable materials from the streets of Allentown.
“To think it’s been 15 years already is incredible! I’ve been extremely blessed to manage our Clean
Team Workforce,” stated Michael Mauro, Clean Team Workforce Manager. “Not only have I been
fortunate to witness so many men on the Clean Team Workforce transition back into the community,
but for the community’s support. They say it takes a village and this would not be possible without the
support of Allentown City leaders and all of our other customers here in the Lehigh Valley,” added
Mauro.
In June of 2023, the Clean Team Workforce developed a new initiative, Wheelchairs to the Rescue, to
provide necessary mobility devices for disabled people. Clean Team Workforce employees gather,
clean, and organize wheelchairs, walkers, and crutches through property and estate cleanouts, as well as
donations, for distribution to Joni and Friends’, an international charity. The project also teaches its
employees project management, the joy of giving back to the community, and keeps mobility items out
of landfills.
To learn more or to hire the Clean Team Workforce, please visit https://www.cleanteampa.com/
The Allentown Rescue Mission, a 501c3, 123 bed non-profit homeless shelter has been providing shelter
for homeless men since 1900. In addition to emergency shelter services (365 days a year), the Allentown
Rescue Mission offers a residential life skills program, and transitional employment on the Clean Team
Workforce that’s available for hire to the community. The Clean Team Workforce pays the men above
PA state minimum wage– helping them save a nest egg to transition back into the community. In a
typical year, the Allentown Rescue Mission provides shelter services for over 946 men per year, and
serves over 42,000 meals a year to men in need.
To refer someone to the Allentown Rescue Mission for services or to learn ways you can help make a
difference please visit www.allentownrescuemission.org
