'Five years ago, I was in prison:' Women's Bean Project expands, helping women discover talent and break the cycle of unemployment
The buzz of machines fills the air inside a brand-new facility at 1300 West Alameda in Denver. It's now the home of the Women's Bean Project, an upgrade that's been decades in the making.
Carefully counting containers filled with homemade gourmet food and placing labels on each one, Nicole Creed works the assembly line with pride. She's thriving in her role working at Women's Bean. But it wasn't always this way.
"Five years ago, I was in prison for drug dealing, multiple things," Creed shared.
She's a recovering addict who bravely turned her life in a different direction.
"I am 18 months sober at this point," she said with a victorious smile. "And I'm raising my son. He's almost two."
Creed is one of the dozens of women gainfully employed at Women's Bean Project, making everything from soup to salsa. Those products are then packaged and sold at grocery stores across Colorado. The experience helps set them up for success to break the cycle of chronic unemployment.
The new location for Women's Bean Project is double the size of the old facility, which means they can grow their community of women.
"A building starts out as a building; concrete, wood, but then when you move into it, and you can begin to make it your own. That's when it becomes your home. And that's what we're in the process of doing right now," said Tamra Ryan, CEO of Women's Bean Project.
With new space comes new opportunities.
"It is opportunity. When you change a woman's life you change her family's life. And that's what makes it really important," said Ryan.
Creed has certainly felt that change: "It provides all the opportunities you need to be who you want to be. Women's Bean Project gives you that kind of support that you need through anything that you do, if you have any dreams, they will help you in any way they can. I've become more confident, I've seen my leadership skills blossom, there's so many things I can't really name them all."
"I love this place," she continued with a laugh.
"And we love you!" a staff member shouted back.
To learn more about employment, and how you can help the women through purchasing products, click here: www.womensbeanproject.com
