116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Frontier Co-op highlights ‘doing good, works’
Iowa company’s report cites Breaking Down Barriers help to the homeless, formerly incarcerated
NORWAY, Iowa — The newly released corporate social responsibility report from Frontier Co-op highlights the Benton County-based spice and herb company’s “Doing Good, Works” goals in 2022.
The report cites:
- Committing $240,000 to farmer stability and resilience in Madagascar; the country where roughly 80 percent of the world’s vanilla is sourced but is prone to devastating hurricanes, flooding, and extended periods of drought and famine
- Surpassing $1 million in grants made through the Aura Cacia Positive Change Project, offering financial support to organizations “empowering women and girls with the resources needed to take control of their future and make transformational changes in their lives.”
- Addressing systemic barriers to employment through its award-winning Breaking Down Barriers to Employment initiative.
Barriers to work
The Breaking Down Barriers initiative supports employees by providing service such as subsidized child care, transportation, “second-change” hiring practices, apprenticeships and on-the-job training.
Through the program, Frontier has partnered with Willis Dady Homeless Services in Cedar Rapids, which leads the transportation program — the Norway company in Benton County is about 20 miles southwest of Cedar Rapids — and the apprenticeship program.
The number of Willis Dady clients experiencing homelessness before employment saw a 50 percent reduction in 2022 after being employed with Frontier Co-op. And 30 people made use of transportation to the plant in the past year, with a ride average per week of 99 percent — “they’re not missing work,” the company said.
In addition, 20 percent of the company’s production employees — 62 people between 2018 and 2022 — were formerly incarcerated or struggling with homelessness.
Between 2018 and 2022, 388 people participated in the co-op’s skills-training apprenticeship program. In 2022, the program trained 130 apprentices and Frontier hired six.
Fourteen of the apprentices were referred by the 6th Judicial District of Iowa; of those, four were hired, two left voluntarily and two are current apprentices. In the past five years, the company reports zero terminations of apprentices related to criminal history or violence.
“For any employers or recruiters, I’d just encourage you to take a chance on individuals with any criminal background,” said Alisia Weaver, a full-time Frontier employee and Breaking Down Barriers participant. “You can make a huge difference.
“In prison, they try to prepare you for reentry as much as possible, but the recidivism rate is so high. A big part of that is because you just can’t find a job. If you can’t get out and make a living, it’s hard to get your life on track and moving in the direction you want.”
Other benefits
Frontier’s on-site, subsidized child care — currently $2 per hour for employees — is being used by 73 employees, with 110 children enrolled.
The company also recently launched a savings match program that will provide up to $1,000 a year in match to employee savings. The program includes financial literacy training.
‘Doing the right thing’
Tony Bedard, CEO of Frontier Co-op, said the Breaking Down Barriers initiative is one of the things he’s most proud of in “our purpose-driven work.”
“It’s a perfect example of how using your business to do some good in the world really works for the company, too,” he said. “Our employees, there’s a story behind each of them, and it doesn’t necessarily sound like my story.
“Second-chance hiring is just doing the right thing, trying to be a decent employer.”
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