Hon’s Honey

Do you want to know a little bit more about the people of Baltimore? The heartbeat of community is strong in Charm City. It is a multi-faceted locale with hundreds of cultures, backgrounds and values. I want to share with you just a small sliver of what makes Baltimore a great place to call home. You might be the type of person who would buy from this place simply because their products are locally sourced. But, you will return again and again because their products are indulgent, high quality and each purchase directly impacts someone’s life. This piece of Baltimore is a social enterprise I am elated to support and share with you: Hon’s Honey.

My first experience with Hon’s Honey was at a local shop in Downtown Annapolis, Mango + Main. There were soaps, lip balms and a bath bomb with the hive logo on it. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this was a local business, impacting women who live right here among us. Being intrigued by the name I eagerly found them on Instagram. They employ women who are survivors of trauma (all forms of violence, addiction and sex trafficking) as beekeepers + product makers to earn money and improve their lives. They do this all on a small plot of land in South Baltimore. It is such a unique concept and inventive twist on a traditional social enterprise concept. The benefit of the work duties to learn financial independence and self-worth is the primary goal, but there is a by-product benefit: the healing power of beekeeping itself… Here is a quote about the beekeeping experience from one of the women shared on the Hon’s Honey blog.

“It’s helped me to step out of my comfort zone and allow myself to move forward by trying new and interesting things that I never thought could be possible. Having the nerve to say yes and once I walked into the area with the bees, I realized that I can do the seemingly “impossible” stuff that I used to doubt that I would ever be capable of.”

Hon’s Honey is one aspect to a larger movement within the non-profit, The Well. It is classified as a social enterprise. In brief: Hon’s Honey employs women who have suffered or struggled with a myriad of abuse and trauma. They’ve created the safe space and opportunity for healthy community, purposeful work and education for local women. They sell incredible products (online and in stores) to support themselves.

In their words…

“Hon’s Honey is a purpose-driven business that seeks to provide opportunity and sustainability. We provide an opportunity for women of Baltimore, Maryland, to rise above life’s challenges. Having meaningful work dramatically improves the lives of women and children in the community.

Hon’s Honey provides a dignified solution to an overwhelming problem for women at risk of addiction, abuse, poverty, sex-trafficking, and prostitution.

Through this social enterprise, women can take pride in the work of their hands, develop a wide-range of skills, gain work experience, manage financial independence, and provide for their families.”

c/o Hon’s Honey www.honshoney.com

The Mother’s Day box was on my gift guide this past April. Little did I know my sneaky husband and kiddos hand picked items from my blog post to share with my on Mother’s Day. Needless to say, I had a huge smile on my face as I opened a package to see the Hon’s Honey Mama Box. A gift is always special, but it is a different feeling to know the gift is inherently good. It was loaded with fresh honey, Wight Tea Co sampler, a tote bag and signature Hon’s Honey mug. I treasure this gift. Bonus points: my kiddos love honey so like most things as a Mama, it became a gift to share.

So you scrolled to the bottom for a synopsis…

• Hon’s Honey is a Baltimore-based social enterprise (essentially meaning: they sell a products and the money made goes directly to benefits for the workers)
• Hon’s Honey is part of a larger non-profit organization, The Well, that offers safe haven for women who are survivors of violence, addiction, sex trafficking…
• More than just Honey, you can shop their hive to score beeswax candles, lip balms, bath bombs and even face masks!
• You can follow them on instagram here to keep up with all the happenings at the hive and be the first to know about new products.
• Shop their products at these boutiques.