On a given day in an unassuming building in Curtis Bay, a group of women are creating. As one takes her gloved hands and dips them into a sugar scrub infused with lavender, others are labeling jars, pouring honey, creating soap—readying it all for sale at local markets. On a wall painted with a mural of honeycomb with bees on it is a verse from Deuteronomy: “And He hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, a land that floweth with milk and honey.”

This is Hon’s Honey and one thing these women have in common is that they have all survived trauma such as exploitation, generational poverty, addiction, and abuse. Mandy Memmel has created programs that are helping them save their own lives.

“Our mission is to help a woman understand her value, her identity, and her creative purpose,” says Memmel, 53, founder and executive director of Drink at the Well (known as The Well). “When [a woman] can sustain her own life, she can help the next woman walking through our doors.”

More than a decade ago, Memmel started a group at the local recreation center called Women of Hope. “I had a vision of starting an organization where women could come and be healed, be restored,” she says. That vision became The Well, which she launched in 2013.

At The Well, women gain access to life’s essentials like fresh food, clothing, even showers. It offers child care for its participants and a residential program they hope to expand.

COR Life Development, which stands for “community, opportunity, and responsibility,” is an anchor program at The Well in which women learn important life skills around things like physical and mental health, communication, financial information, healthy relationships, and coping mechanisms. There are counseling groups, financial resources, and scholarship programs for those wanting to further their educations.

Hon’s Honey is for women involved in COR Life Development. The workforce development program teaches women skills that will enable them to work and live in the community, including making all-natural products from honey from the center’s eight hives.

“I love the work I do because it’s divinely inspired,” says Memmel. “We’ve had many women testify that when they walked through our doors, their hopes came to life.”

With the mandated stay-at-home orders still in place, it looks like Mother’s Day is going to be a little different this year. But that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate your loved ones from afar.

In fact, local shops have come up with thoughtful presents to make contactless gifting easy. We’ve put together a handy gift guide to help you celebrate the important women in your life while supporting local businesses. These shops offer online ordering for delivery or contact-free curbside pickup, making for a seamless transaction while still practicing safe social distancing.

B. Willow

The storefront might be closed, but that hasn’t stopped B.Willow from staying true to its Mother’s Day tradition. Owner Liz Vayda has packaged two options: a seasonal bouquet or tropical potted plant—both of which come with a dried-flower card and a half-dozen rose shortbread cookies from Bramble Baking Co. Curbside pickup is available Monday-Friday from 3 p.m.-6 p.m. and local delivery with a minimum order of $50 is available on Monday, and Wednesday-Friday.

Becket Hitch

We all know these times are stressful, so why not gift mom a calming, self-care package? Becket Hitch’s Old Whaling Bath Co. Kits include body butter, salt scrub, and a bath bomb in an array of scents like coastal calm, magnolia, and “Sea La Vie.” To top it off, add an all-natural sea sponge, candle, or pajama set from their extensive Mother’s Day gift section. Free delivery is available within 10 miles of the Baltimore County shop.

Brightside Boutique

Offering gift packages for the new mom, the young mom, and the best-friend mom, Brightside Boutique has options for ladies in any stage of motherhood. The various boxes include products such as mugs, candles, lotion, and trinket trays. To make the gift even more special, they are offering handwritten notes so you can leave a loving message to your gift recipient. Shipping is free when you spend more than $50.

CF Interiors

The interior design experts of CF Interiors have gone into full mask-making mode so you can give a timely package that includes two adult tailored face masks, a Dog Lover notepad, and a candle. Local delivery is available in the Baltimore-Metropolitan area, as well as curbside pickup. Call 410-583-8086 or email info@cfinteriors.org to place an order.

Hon’s Honey x Wight Tea Company

The “Healing Hive” partnered with Wight Tea Company this year to bring a wellness-inspired gift package for all moms who enjoy their tea time. The package includes locally-sourced, handcrafted honey and tea, a mug, and a tote. Not only will you be making mom happy, but you’ll be supporting a women-run social enterprise that gives at-risk women steady, reliable work and hope for their future.

Trohv

Build your own Mother’s Day gift package with a few of Trohv’s mom-inspired products. From witty cards and trinkets, to a prayer candle dedicated to Saint Exhaustia—the Patron Saint of Tired Moms—Trohv’s gifts are sure to make your mom laugh. If you can’t find what you’re looking for on their online store, send a direct message on Instagram or contact hellobmore@trohvshop.com to place your order.

In the summer of 2017, Mandy Memmel had an epiphany. Her organization, The Well, a nonprofit that mentors underserved women in the Curtis Bay neighborhood, had been around for two years.

She had built a community of women, coaching them through relationship building, financial management, and even teaching them to grocery shop. Yet, Memmel felt it wasn’t enough. She realized there was an opportunity to make even more of a difference in these women’s lives—so she decided to expand the existing workforce development program into a social enterprise.

“I knew I was going to start a business, but I didn’t know what it was going to be,” Memmel says. Until one day, at a community meeting, a beekeeper from the Filbert Street Gardens mentioned an unusual overflow of honey coming from their new hive. Memmel has always believed that Baltimore would be prosperous. This felt like a sign: “I thought at that moment, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Immediately, she knew that her new business would be centered around local, raw honey. Over the next year, with the help of her daughter, Jordan Moyer, and The Well’s Program Director, Erin Allison (pictured with Memmel, above), Memmel built up a team and researched healing products that can be made with honey. By September 2018, Hon’s Honey was launched as an online shop selling jars of raw honey along with a handful of body care products formulated with raw honey and essential oils.

Six women survivors work at Hon’s Honey today. Each has gone through The Well’s mentorship program and is further coached through reaching personal goals and achievements. They take pride in the fact that all of the products sold by Hon’s Honey are handmade from scratch, right through the packaging and labeling.

“It’s a very healing process to see something you’ve created, watching people get excited about your product,” says Memmel. “It gives amazing esteem, confidence, and capability for these women.”

The beauty products at Hon’s Honey are sustainably made, use natural ingredients, and
are Fair Trade. The honey rejuvenates the skin with its richness of antioxidants, while simultaneously acting as an antibacterial and natural clarifier that unclogs pores and prevents acne breakouts. The sales of the products benefit women who have turned their lives around, helping to encourage communities in Baltimore to take a step in a better direction. Who knew just how healing honey could be?