Brownie from Greyston Bakery

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Yesterday Hinda Incentives posted an article on their blog yesterday talking about using food as a way to engage and motivate employees. How does concept apply to social responsibility?

Greyston Bakery. WHOWomen. That’s how.

Both Greyston and WHOWomen offer assortments of baked goods that would engage just about any employee. If you’re familiar with any Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream with fudge in it, then you are familiar with Greyston Bakery. Greyston Bakery employ’s individuals who are homeless, recently incarcerated or other at-risk individuals to work in their brownie factory. The profits generated from brownie sales go towards community development projects such as housing, job training and education.

WHOWomen (Women Helping Other Women) is another social enterprise that hires women who find themselves in difficult situations (particularly individuals who’ve sought refuge in domestic abuse centers). They offer employment, education and job training to women by producing cakes and using the profits to help the women and also help with the Mountain Opportunity Center (an organization that provides employment for developmentally disabled adults). WHOWomen’s main goal is to serve as a catalyst by offering help and hope to these women along their way back to a

Cake from WHOWomen

productive life.

The bottom line is this: using food, you could help boost engagement and morale around your office. What better way to boost morale than to use food that ultimately helps better a life somewhere else?

Plus, who can say no to brownies and cake?