Social Enterprise, BeeHavin’, Provides Second Chance Employment
What is a social enterprise? Social enterprises are businesses with primarily social objectives based upon a specific mission. They generate revenue from selling products and services in an open market and reinvest their profits back into their programs and their local communities. They have a triple bottom line of people, planet and profit.
BeeHavin’ is providing second chance employment to formerly incarcerated individuals in order to break the cycle of recidivism. Recidivism is a measurement of the rate at which offenders commit other crimes, either by arrest or conviction baselines, after being released from incarceration.
Researchers have studied prison to work programs across the country and found that while statewide recidivism rates range from 31 to 70%, the rates for those employed shortly after release range from 3.3 to 8%. We believe that sustainable employment may represent our best opportunity to significantly disrupt recidivism and the growing population of Americans with criminal records.
THE COMPANY: BeeHavin’ is an online retailer and wholesaler of bee-inspired products that aim to solve social and environmental problems. The company manufactures an all-natural line of lip and skin care products that are good for the skin and are environmentally responsible.
IMPACT:
What is the Social Problem that BeeHavin’ aims to solve?
A lack of sustainable employment opportunities represents one of the greatest barriers to an individual’s successful reintergration into society from incarceration.
Beehavin’s Solution: Break down the employment barriers by hiring returning citizens, helping them acquire marketable skills and a sustainable wage, and providing them with other training and resources to help them successfully reintegrate.
What is the Environmental Problem that BeeHavin’ aims to solve?
Although many humans think of honeybees as a summertime nuisance, the truth of the matter is that these hardworking insects actually make it possible for many of our favorite foods to reach our table. From apples to cucumbers to alfalfa, almonds and more, over 15 billion a year in US crops are pollinated by bees.
Unfortunately a condition known as colony collapse disorder is causing the bee populations to plummet, which means our food supply is at risk. Without bees to spread seeds, many plants, including food crops would die off.
How Will BeeHavin’ help with this problem?
Once a site is identified, BeeHavin’ will establish its own apiary. Employees will be trained to care for the bees as well as learn how to extract the honey and the beeswax that will be used in our products.
Our managed apiary will help to replenish the bee population, while allowing us to create high quality natural products that are good for our clients.
