Connecting to Opportunity: Metropolitan Peace Initiatives and Community Partners Host CVI Hiring Event

Community members at a career fair hosted at the Metropolitan Peace Academy on Friday, April 4, prepare their resumes together.

Job-seeking community members connected with partnering organizations and employers at a career fair hosted at the Metropolitan Peace Academy (MPA) on Friday, April 4, 2025. The event was a collaboration between Skills for Chicagoland’s Future, the Public Safety Task Force from the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the Cara Collective, and the Workforce Development team at Metropolitan Peace Initiatives (MPI).

The event welcomed employers such as JLL, Hyatt, Jewel-Osco, and Navy Pier, all of which hired community members on the spot for seasonal, part-time, and full-time jobs.

Participants came from a range of backgrounds and experiences, but were all involved with community organizations focused on reducing the impacts of violence and incarceration. While not everyone who came had a criminal background, event organizers emphasized how important it is to advocate for people re-entering their communities.

“Individuals with criminal backgrounds have been, for too long, excluded from gaining great employment. It’s important to turn things around,” shared Stacey Hart, Associate Director of Workforce Development at MPI.

MPI Re-entry Coach Amiin Davis agreed, stating, “This can ultimately open up doors to reduce violence.”

For individuals impacted by community violence and the justice system, the barriers to stable employment can be quite high. Events like these can lessen those barriers and even eliminate them entirely.

Skills for Chicagoland’s Future Manager of Community Strategic Partnerships Crystal Savage spoke to the value of events like these.

“We’re trying to make sure participants can get employed regardless of their background ,” said Savage. “We can help them overcome some of those barriers and work closely with those employers to help them connect with the candidates.”

Job seekers engaged in interview and resume preparation with the help of mentors from Skills for Chicagoland’s Future, and then met face-to-face with employers. Andrew Talley shared that he had recently moved back to Chicago from Houston, and expressed excitement that he could connect directly with potential employers.

“I wanted to see if I had any opportunities… I’m looking for employment, but also to network,” Talley said.

Walter Harris, community member, was hired on the spot by Navy Pier at the hiring event.

Meanwhile, Walter Harris was looking for employment at the fair and was hired by Navy Pier on the spot.

“This opportunity means everything to me,” Harris shared. “I had a kidney transplant two years ago, so I’m back in the workforce. It’s time for me to be on somebody’s clock. It’s time for me to be on somebody’s payroll, to make some legit money, and maintain a positive life.”

Joseph Mapp, Director of the City of Chicago’s Office of Re-entry, reiterated why community events like this matter.

“It connects people in a humane and dignified way and does not stigmatize people coming in the door because they have engagement with the criminal legal system,” Mapp said. “Relationships should be the center of all the work we do.”