The Sweet Smell of Ex-Offender Success

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The North Lawndale Employment Network provides an innovative answer to the problem of ex-offender employment with its Sweet Beginnings urban honey business in the Chicago area.

This social enterprise hires formerly incarcerated individuals to harvest honey and manufacture a line of honey infused skin care products. Program employees train in the areas of landscaping, beekeeping and food processing and then transition into jobs in the community.

The program has been able to achieve a 4% recidivism rate, far below the national average of 65% and the Illinois average of 55%.

Learn more about this program by viewing the the ABC7 Chicago segment below.

Or visit the web site at www.sweetbeginningsllc.com to purchase raw honey and skin care products.

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