Improving Economic Security in our Communities
Former inmates from 2nd Call help build the new Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw Medical Office Building.
Everyone deserves a decent standard of living. When a person or group cannot afford fresh, nutritious food; a comfortable, safe place to live; or the means to maintain basic hygiene standards, quality of life may seem out of reach – if not impossible.
Kaiser Permanente has long been committed to total health. We understand how economic, social and environmental factors in our communities – beyond the medical care we provide – significantly affect people’s health, well-being, and longevity. We strive to use our strong relationships and extensive resources to eliminate factors that can harm individual and community health.
When Kaiser Permanente Southern California began constructing a state-of-the-art medical office building in the Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw neighborhood in West Los Angeles, the opportunity to provide good-paying jobs and increase economic security in the community became clear.
We collaborated with 2nd Call, a nonprofit community organization that helps former inmates rebuild their careers and lives. Through 2nd Call, former gang members like Charles Slay, who was released at age 48 after spending 27 years in prison for murder, applied their construction skills to help build the new medical center. This second chance allowed the former inmates not only to become part of the community, but also to help better the community.
By partnering with like-minded organizations and developing innovative ways to inspire positive change, we continue making a difference in strengthening the health of our communities and the people who live there.