Abigail Potter
Marymount University
Larry Clay
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Hon’s Honey is a social enterprise dedicated to equipping and empowering women survivors through employment. The company Hon’s Honey sprung out of the non-profit “Drink from The Well.” For these women, being employed by Hon’s Honey means they are gaining community, generating an income, as well as getting access to free counseling, mentorships, and life development programs. Hon’s Honey is currently helping to employ 16 women survivors, with the hope to grow soon.
Hon’s Honey is a company that produces products made of all-natural and locally sourced honey. They have a variety of products from pure honey, to bath bombs, and candles. They even have products like mugs and towels.
Mandy Memmel founded a non-profit called “Drink from the Well” in 2013, she wanted to create change for women survivors in the Baltimore area. With this goal in heart, she and her team were able to help these women build healthy relationships and mentor women. Eventually, Mandy and her team felt a need to help these women more, this planted the idea of an employment program to bloom out of the well. One day it hit her, honey. Then Hon’s Honey was born, of course not that fast it took lots of hard work, love, and dedication poured in from Mandy, her team, and the community around her. Hon’s Honey now makes a wide variety of products with locally sourced and natural honey that they sell online. 100% of the proceeds go to these women survivors that they employ.
The inspiration for Hon’s Honey came from the want to help these women on a financial level. Many women survivors within Hon’s Honey, have children, they need a place to live, and lacked a support system before they came in. Helping women throughout “The Well” was wonderful, but some women needed more financial support, needed more stability in their lives. Hon’s Honey has been able to give that to them. This past year one woman was able to purchase a home while working at Hon’s Honey, which is an amazing achievement and goes to show how Hon’s Honey is truly impacting women's lives.
The best way to share Hon’s Honeys’ overall impact is to share a story from one of their survivors, who has been helped through employment. This story can also be found on their website, I encourage you to check it out. Hon’s honey helps women with all types of traumas, addiction, abuse, generation poverty, and trafficking. I would like to share Brooklyn’s story today.
“I was homeless, addicted to drugs, and had a warrant out for my arrest. I was angry and guarded. I didn't see my potential and didn't know my worth because of my past. I told myself, "I need to make a change'. I got on the methadone program for four years. It took that tough love but I got clean. There was a time when I slipped away but then came back stronger than ever. I finished The Well's mentorship program. I wanted to follow through with the program to become a 'better me'. Then I applied to work for Hon's Honey. I saved up and the program helped me to buy my car to get myself back and forth to work. To have that independence gave me confidence. I went to school to learn about beekeeping and am now the Hon's Honey beekeeper in a supervisory position. Beekeeping is therapeutic for me in dealing with my anxiety. I'm thankful for employment at Hon's Honey because I'm an active part of nature and it's helping me at the same time. Hon's Honey saw my potential and believed in me. My goals for the future are to grow as a beekeeper and keep giving back to the community and nature. I feel like I have changed from the old me because I have more purpose and I know now, that I am capable of doing what I set my mind to and not fear”
Hon’s Honey has helped so many women. During my interview with Mandy Memmel I was able to see where the honey was made and meet some of the women working. You would have never known they had a traumatic past, these women all had smiles on their faces. They welcomed me and offered to give me a tour and some samples. They were just the sweetest people, and it truly showed the impact of this employment program and the community built within it.
Not only does Hon’s honey represent a huge social impact within the community, but it also focuses highly on the sustainability of its products. “Hon’s Honey was created for two reasons - to show our community pride and to create a positive opportunity for women survivors of trauma. We provide high-quality and locally-sourced products that evoke pride in our city. You can see this pride in our product names which derive themselves from what we call “Baltimorese”—the language of our area.”
All products are locally sourced, all-natural, and ethically crafted and Hon’s honey guarantees that with every product. With the products being locally sourced Hon’s Honey can preserve and protect beehives within the community.
Overall, Hon’s Honey is promoting so many great things in the Baltimore area and beyond. Empowering and employing local women survivors who otherwise would probably not have been able to gain the opportunities they are receiving and able to give to those around them. They are promoting locally sourced ingredients, high quality, and sustainable goods. Hon’s honey has been growing at an extreme rate and the hope is to continue to be able to help more and more women out of trauma and financial hardship. By purchasing from Hon’s Honey you are not only getting great products but helping to change someone's world in just one purchase.
Love can heal and change is possible.
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Mandy Memmel, Founder & Executive Director
Hon’s Honey is a social enterprise dedicated to equipping and empowering women survivors through employment. By providing employment, community, financial freedom, free counseling, mentorships, and life development programs. Hon’s Honey is a company that produces products made of all-natural and locally sourced honey. They have a variety of products from pure honey, to bath bombs, and candles. They even have products like mugs and towels.