MHALA’s social enterprise, The Village Cookie Shoppe, is more than just a bakery with delicious cookies — it’s a place people can go to get the second chances they are seeking.
Employees at the cookie shop are MHALA members who were formerly incarcerated, homeless, or jobless. During their time working at The Village Cookie Shoppe, part of MHALA’s Employment Program, they acquire skills that help them reintegrate into the community.
“Our success rate is 85% of placing people in the community and helping them get a job so that they can recreate their lives in a way that they feel fulfilled,” said Kevin Palacios, manager of The Village Cookie Shoppe.
Palacios has run the bakery, deli, and catering business for about a decade, and takes pride in the impact made by the job training program. “This job has made me a better father, a better husband, it’s made me a better person,” he told the Long Beach Post.
