A hospital on Chicago's North Side is aiming to help formerly incarcerated people find employment and a start to a career, offering opportunities through a program designed around giving second chances.
With approximately one-third of U.S. adults having a criminal record, many have difficulty finding work, particularly those who were formerly incarcerated.
For Renee Robinson, every day working at Illinois Masonic Medical Center is a chance to move on from a painful past.
“Growing up, you know, in the Rockwell Gardens with a single mom, I saw some of everything, experienced some of everything,” she told NBC Chicago.
Robinson later struggled with addiction, which would lead to her incarceration. Following her release from prison, she focused on healing and getting help.
A community-based employment program helped her find a job, and later received the call that landed her a position at Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood.
Robinson has worked on the environmental services team at the hospital since 2021.
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Advocate Illinois Masonic is a fair chance employer, a program helping those with a criminal record find work.
“I look forward to coming to work,” she said. “I could have never seen this, but you are looking at a miracle. Illinois Masonic gave me the second chance in life, and I am so grateful. There are programs out here willing to give you a second chance in life. I couldn't have asked for anything more.”
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Advocate Illinois Masonic started its fair chance employer program in 2020, hiring 42 teammates into roles at Advocate hospitals across Illinois.
