Hons Honey, located in Curtis Bay, Baltimore is a non-profit organization that helps women who live in the toughest neighborhoods in Baltimore and have survived addiction, incarceration, prostitution, poverty, abuse, or other traumas. Hons Honey works with The Well, also located in Baltimore, to assist these women begin the journey towards a better life.

The Well, an organization that offers a program for women wishing to strive towards stronger, healthier futures also works with the community as a clothing closet, food distribution center, and opportunity for free support meetings during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since 2013, The Well has offered this mentorship program for women to learn life skills, talk about their struggles, and offer encouragement on how to best reach their goals. The program begins with groups of about 5 to 10 women who talk about the highs and lows of their weeks.

“It’s about a year long program and the women can take classes on Mondays,” director of Hons Honey Erin Allison said. “The classes usually have a monthly theme we talk about, such as finances, job preparedness, relationships or taking responsibility.”

Following the group classes, the women enter into a one-on-one mentorship with another woman who becomes their mentor. She is there to walk alongside the mentee and offer motivation on the best ways to reach their goals in increments that are realistic and manageable.

“They meet weekly to make goals for the mentee focusing on what she wants to do and accomplish in that week, such as getting a driver’s license, going back to school or getting a job,” Allison said. “The mentor offers encouragement and accountability or sometimes the mentor will break it down a little bit.”

In 2018, members of The Well, including Allison, took their mentorship program a step further and launched Hons Honey as a healthy, beautiful and comforting environment in which women can heal and change for the better,surrounded by the healing power of honey.

“[Hons Honey] was created to offer job skills training, work experience, build confidence and restore dignity in a loving and nurturing environment, so they can gain the skills needed to go to work at a different place that isn’t as nurturing and loving,” Allison said. “It restores pride and helps them to heal.”

Not only is Hons Honey an inclusive and safe environment for these women to learn and grow, it also allows Hons Honey to remain a business, keep a steady source of income, pay for workshops and resources, employ these women, and pay for scholarships and benevolent funds. These funds and scholarships allow the women to accomplish their goals successfully, such as buying a laptop or paying their bills.

“A few of our ladies have been able to purchase a car which gives them a lot more freedom to make their own appointments,” Allison said. “We trained one of our ladies in beekeeping, so she is actually working [in a beekeeping business] which has given her a connection with nature that she really enjoys and is therapeutic for her.”

Not only is Hons Honey a non-profit, but they also work with and support other nonprofits such as Filbert Street Gardens where they keep bee hives, and a bee research program at the University of Maryland from which they obtain their honey.

Hons Honey has received amazing support from the community over the years with the influx of volunteers offering to help out, and from little boutiques around the Baltimore area who buy and sell their products. These boutiques include The Wild Bird Center in Severna Park and a few others located in Towson and Annapolis. They are always looking for volunteers 16 years old and up to do their part, make an impact, and give purpose to these women survivors by helping out at markets, running events, offering donations, or simply purchasing their products.

“Obviously we are a non-profit and we depend on donations and the talents and gifts of others” Allison said. “All of our classes and workshops are done by volunteers who want to share their knowledge with the ladies.”

Simply walking in the door gives anyone the overwhelming sense of love and compassion for these women that drives the organization to success. It is this feeling that really motivates the women, showing them that changing their lives for the better is possible.

“The main thing that we want people to take away is that love heals and we are providing a community for women who are healing through love,” Allison said.