Hi everyone,

2021 was a year of resilience, growth, and new beginnings and we look forward to its continuation in 2022. Here’s a little teaser of what’s to come. 

Last year, here at the HHPLIFT office, we expanded our LIFT™ Workshop & introduced two new scents, each with a unique social impact. (1) Our Ravenswood candle was created in its entirety by LIFT™ Program affiliate associates from READI Chicago, from research & development (scent testing, learning candle science, and more) to fulfillment. And (2) Our Honeybun scent is made using honey from Growing Home, another one of our employment partners and a farm-based training program whose participants get on-the-job experience, job-readiness training, and wrap-around services such as support to conquer issues like criminal records, medical needs, child-care, and housing. A portion of the proceeds from each product goes back to READI Chicago and Growing Home, furthering each organization's mission.

Looking to this year, we are so excited for all that’s to come within HHPLIFT. With the expanded Workshop space came the ability for more employment partnerships & this year, associates from Lawrence Hall and SEED will join those from READI Chicago, Transition2Work, FarmWorks, Growing Home, and New Moms. And the space came at the perfect time, allowing us to fulfill our record number of large orders that would not have been possible in the old Workshop. The LIFT™ Program teaches critical career development skills to its associates through on-the-job training, mentorship, collaboration, educational workshops, and more, so associates graduate the Program with the tools needed for success in the workplace.

In the first quarter, we’ll be launching our new Garden Gourmet line of fruit- & botanical- inspired soy candles and 100% organic cotton tabletop accessories. The products’ art was rendered in watercolor and oil pastels by Kelley Shields in our Chicago studio, bringing brightness, happiness, and a touch of the garden to your table and home. And of course, the line has a social impact. The candles come in six new scents, and are made in the LIFT™ Workshop through the LIFT™ Program. The colorful & 100% organic 12-ounce cotton coasters, placemats, and hot pads are handcrafted by artisans at a social enterprise in India and are printed with same painted images as featured in the candles.

HHPLIFT tea sets (Colombo Crème Earl Grey & Cranberry Cheer) are a collaboration between the LIFT™ Workshop and two refugee resettlement groups. Associates from RefuTea packaged the tea, graduates of the RefugeeOne Sewing Studio created the colorful coasters, and affiliate associates of the LIFT™ Program assembled the sets. Rich, flavorful tea, beautiful accessories, and products that do good for the people who make them.

Our granola, available for branding & to add to incentive programs, is made by Beautiful Day: an organization based in Providence, Rhode Island with a mission to help refugees, especially the most vulnerable, enter the job market and become welcomed, self-sufficient members of their communities. We are offering Beautiful Day’s award winning granola in three new flavors.

Until next time,

The HHPLIFT team

For more information, please contact info@HHPLIFT.com.