Greyston-WJCS Partnership Featured in Surgeon General Report

The partnership between two of Westchester County’s leading nonprofits, Greyston and Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS), is featured in the just-released report, “Community Health and Economic Prosperity: Engaging Businesses as Stewards and Stakeholders,” issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Office of the Surgeon General (OSG). The document draws attention to the “U.S. health disadvantage and demonstrates to business leaders the opportunity investing in community health can bring to the business bottom line and the health of the economy.” The report is available online at https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/chep-sgr-full-report.pdf.

Greyston’s Open Hiring® model, which incorporates wraparound support services for employees provided by WJCS, is included as an example of how businesses, community members, social enterprises, government agencies, and other groups can collaborate to strengthen public health, promote economic inclusion, and increase opportunity for all.

Partnership for Social Good

Since 2016, Greyston and WJCS have collaborated to support employees at Greyston Bakery, many of whom face social and economic barriers to personal and professional success. Most of these individuals were deemed “unemployable” by other organizations and joined the bakery via its Open Hiring® staffing model – hired with no questions asked, no resumes, and no background checks. Understanding that a job is just the first step in building a better future, Greyston and WJCS work together to provide critical wraparound services that are essential in overcoming obstacles to retaining employment, and improving their lives and the lives of their family members. Specifically, WJCS provides a case manager who works with staff members to identify professional and personal challenges, and create practical plans to improve their work/life balance, family functioning, and ability to achieve success.

“We know that economic opportunity—as well as the stable families, healthy environments, and strong communities it supports—is good for health,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar. “But too many Americans are born into and grow up in low-opportunity neighborhoods. This creates costs for business and for society, as so many Americans never achieve their potential in the workforce, are unable to reach independence, and see their health and the health of their loved ones suffer as a result.”

Greyston and WJCS are addressing this issue every day in Southwest Yonkers. According to Joseph Kenner, president and CEO of Greyston, “Our alliance with WJCS is a model for how business can transform lives and communities. It begins with providing opportunities for those who face rejection elsewhere - whether they’re homeless, formerly incarcerated, or in recovery - and then investing in their potential to be productive and engaged employees.” He continued, “Our efforts are essential in empowering men and women in the workplace, offering financial security to families, and creating positive role models for youth in the community - all of which contribute to breaking the cycle of poverty.”

WJCS CEO Seth Diamond added, “A job with Greyston is transformational, giving hope to those who have struggled and putting them on a path to a better life. WJCS is proud to partner with Greyston in supporting Open Hiring. By providing support services to help keep people working, together we have shown that investing in workers makes good business sense and improves the health of our community."

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About Greyston

Greyston is a 501(c)3 nonprofit social justice enterprise working to create job opportunities and provide services to enable self-sufficiency. We offer employment, and workforce development and community wellness programs to our neighbors to better our communities, and meet our collective social, environmental, and financial goals. In serving the people of Southwest Yonkers, New York, Greyston promotes inclusion, offers support to disenfranchised people, battles against systemic inequities, and advocates for a level playing field for everyone, regardless of their pasts. Visit greyston.org for more information.

About Greyston Bakery

Greyston Bakery is a world-class commercial operation, producing 40,000 pounds of award-winning brownies daily for customers such as Ben & Jerry’s and Whole Foods Market. We are New York State's first Benefit Corporation and a proud certified B Corp, and staffed by individuals who likely would have been screened out by traditional hiring practices. Every one of our bakers has been hired without judgment through our Open Hiring staffing model; no resumes, no interviews, no background checks are needed. Since 1982, we've continued our founder Bernie Glassman’s mission to extend opportunities to people facing barriers to employment; along the way, we've worked with scores of dedicated, productive employees who have been critical to our business success.

About WJCS
WJCS-Westchester Jewish Community Services has been serving those most vulnerable in Westchester since its founding in 1943. It is a non-sectarian, not-for-profit, trauma-informed human service agency and its mission is to help people of all ages and backgrounds cope with emotional, cognitive, environmental, physical, interpersonal, social, and educational challenges. Agency experts, using evidence-based practices, provide youth, mental health, trauma, disabilities, and geriatric services to approximately 20,000 people annually. It also offers privately-funded educational and spiritual programs for the Jewish community. For more information, visit wjcs.com.