Volunteering: One of the key to make your business successful !

By Clara COUACH.

“If people don’t laughing at your ideas than you don’t dream enough. Be okay about thinking crazy thinking big, thinking differently if it the solution, people would come to respect it” – Brenda Palms-Barber

The North Lawndale Employment Network was one of the first organizations who provide a job trading program that help to reintegrate men and women who have criminal background into society and to prepare them to build their future. 
Sweet beginnings was born because there had not enough job opportunities available in the community, so they needed to create a business who provide a work experience for these men and women, so they can established a work history and demonstrates to society that they are ready to work. 

Sweet Beginnings,  makes the Beelove products, an all natural line of raw honey and honey-infused body care products. Workers extract the honey from the all natural urban apiary in the heart of the North Lawndale community in Chicago. 

Sweet beginnings give to the workers the second chance opportunity they deserve. They help them to develop skills and work qualifications. Some of them had never had a work before Beelove. They build future professional project.

The area where the company is located is in the west side of Chicago; I was a little bit surprised by the area. It felt like all the houses were deserted. It was a really strange atmosphere, very calm, but we can feel the poverty of the area. When we arrive at NLCP building, I cannot stop myself to look everywhere in the building and I saw that the place wasn’t finish of construction, and seems abandoned. We met Brenda and she tells us more about the community. She said that Martin Luther king came to visit Chicago and leaves in this area. The purpose of his visit was raise national awareness of the housing injustice and the racial divides around housing. Nowadays, it stills the same inequality because of the population: more than 50 % of people had a criminal past, so the city doesn’t want to help this community. We meet the workers who leave in this area and I can said they have such an amazing heart and vision and they inspire me about how they deal with the economics challenges they have to face.

Brenda says “our jobs is to equip them, to work with them, help them, see who they are, help them to be undeniable.” Volunteering - by definition - is to help people with your time or your money. You made this for love, because you believe in it.

Volunteering is too often view as a bad thing but it can really help you to grow your business in many aspects.

That can help you to discover and learn new skills, during volunteering you have the freedom to learn and experiment. Maybe you will switch your career after discovering something you are good in and about what you are passionate. Who knows?

You can also win publicity in doing volunteering, or build relationships because volunteering bring people together –it could be some very interesting contacts for your business-

Volunteering also permit to your employees to get involve in a charitable cause, that is a very powerful boost for their happiness and morale. Happy employees means happy customers, never forget that! 
We learn with Grahams last week, than giving back to your community is a very important thing because people are more involve in supporting your business.

Thanks to Brenda for teaching us this beautiful life lesson.