Women's Bean Project

Geographic areas served: Denver Metro area, product sales nationwide

Programs: The project offers transitional employment to women who come from backgrounds of chronic unemployment, poverty, or displacement. The participants produce and market soups, jewelry, gift baskets and other items. In addition, the project provides the benefit of coaching, training, and support that these women require to help them develop basic proficiencies and life and job readiness skills needed to get and keep permanent employment. While working in a gourmet food manufacturing business, women learn the work and interpersonal skills needed to function independently in the workplace and community. These tools empower women to create better lives for themselves and provide their families with hope. The business generates income to the organization and provides the foundation for providing the work experience the women are lacking. The project focuses on helping women overcome barriers to employment by addressing three areas: basic skills, life skills, and job readiness skills. Immediately after intake, our focus is to facilitate each women's access to services to help her meet her basic needs, such as housing, transportation, child care and health care. Weekly life skills classes support growth and self-confidence and personal responsibility and impart crucial tools needed for employment. Through work in our hands-on business, women learn the skills that employers say they are not getting in entry level applicants. Throughout the course of six to twelve months, program participants discover their capabilities and interests.