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First Step Staffing (FSS) from Atlanta has piloted a simple but effective model to provide a first step back into employment for homeless and returning citizens in Atlanta, where they serve 1,000 indiviudals daily. In 2018 they brought that model to Philadelphia. The participation of multiple parties, including the CDFI community, homeless service providers, and the social investment community, helped make this occur. FSS acquired a local labor staffing agency in Philadelphia to operate a second location of their staffing business (after Atlanta) with more on the way. FSS now controls approximately 600 jobs per day in Philadelphia, where they will be placing the homeless clients or returning citizens, providing transportation to the sites, and ensuring that they have the support they need to stay on the job. FSS believes that earning a wage is the first step to providing a path back into society. MRS is pleased to have worked with two of our clients to make this happen. MRS underwrote the senior financing for LISC's participation of $1.2 million. MRS also worked with the Impact Loan Fund to commit $75,000 of subordinate, social investment capital to help create the equity-like cushion needed for the project.