Dec 07, 2021
Zaman Launches ‘Rising Hope Bakery’ Product Line
Zaman International recently launched its Rising Hope Bakery product line featuring four cookies branded to reflect the mission of Zaman to empower women to break the cycle of extreme poverty. The baked goods, created onsite in Zaman’s commercial kitchen, are part of Zaman’s expanded workforce development programming at the Hope for Humanity Center.
“Access to sustainable employment is the best way to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty,” said Najah Bazzy, founder and CEO of Zaman. “Our goal is to create a robust product-to-market line that will provide increased onsite employment opportunities for our clients. It allows them to take the vocational skills they learned here and create a sustainable income that empowers them to achieve self-reliance and eventual employment outside Zaman.”
The Rising Hope Bakery product-to-market program is being led by Panera Bread’s former lead bakery market manager for Southeast Michigan, Gary Waxler, who used to train Panera bakers locally and bakery managers across the country, and now serves as Zaman’s lead baker. As part of the program, Zaman hired two of its clients who have completed culinary arts training at the facility to make the cookies as part of its efforts to provide onsite employment and break the cycle of poverty.
Currently the product line features four gourmet cookies developed in Zaman’s commercial kitchen, which opened earlier this year, and are available for online purchase at RisingHopeBakery.com. The flavors are: Fearless Fudge Walnut, Everyday Hero Peanut Butter, Beat the Odds Oatmeal Fruit, and Champion Chocolate Chip. The names are designed to raise awareness about Zaman’s mission and help customers understand that a portion of the proceeds from their purchases will help support Zaman’s programming.
“These names are inspired by the resilient women who come to Zaman facing extreme poverty and overcome it to achieve self-reliance and better lives for their families,” said Waxler.
Zaman is currently seeking distribution retail partners for Rising Hope Bakery.
Zaman’s typical client family is a single mother raising two children on an annual income of less than $12,000. They often come from overlooked populations facing challenges such as domestic abuse, abandonment disability, and language and cultural barriers. Women entering the Hope for Humanity Center typical enter in crisis and embark on a journey from crisis to sustainability that provides basic needs, education, training and life skills, and eventually employment or the skillset and training to start a business.
Zaman opened its workforce development kitchen – its second state-of-the-art kitchen onsite – to create more employment opportunities for clients who complete courses through the BOOST’s (Building Ongoing Opportunities through Skills Training) culinary arts program, which has its own training kitchen.
About Zaman International – Hope for Humanity
Zaman International is a non-profit organization committed to advancing the lives of marginalized women and children by empowering them to break the cycle of poverty. Founded as a grassroots group of volunteers in 1996, Zaman has grown to a world-class non-profit organization that has helped approximately 2.5 million people around the world. Operating from its 40,500 square-foot facility in Inkster, Zaman offers assistance ranging from basic necessities to life skills, education and vocational training and workforce development programs. Internationally, Zaman collaborates with partners to assist those in need of clean water and relief from natural disasters. Learn more at zamaninternational.org.