DENVER — In an old historic fire station in Denver, the Women's Bean Project has been teaching women lessons for more than 30 years.
They are women who have been chronically unemployed because of issues like addiction or serving jail time. They are hired to make food products, like bean soup, snacks and baking mixes.
Tamra Ryan, CEO of the Women's Bean Project, said the woman are taught life skills like problem solving, goal setting, and budgeting. The goal is to give them the tools to get another job down the road.
The products they produce can be found in grocery stores all over the country. And we know how hard it's been keeping food on those shelves lately.
Ryan has noticed another thing throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. She said the women who work there are in many cases adapting better to the uncertainty from the virus than the managers are.
They unfortunately have dealt with uncertainty many times in their lives. They know how to cope. They know how to adjust their lives. It's a lesson they are teaching others as this pandemic goes on. The women who are learning life's lessons are also teaching some too.
Products from the Women's Bean Project can be found at grocery stores like King Soopers, Safeway, and Whole Foods. You can also order them online at this link.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS | Local stories from 9NEWS