MOUNT VERNON — Loyalty. Growth. Acceptance.
Those are the words that participants in Mount Vernon Municipal Court's MERIT Court program heard on a recent field trip to Hot Chicken Takeover in Westerville.
But perhaps the most important words they heard were “second chance.”
Hot Chicken Takeover is a second-chance employer, one who is willing to give individuals who have a criminal record a fresh start.
One of the primary barriers for ex-offenders reintegrating into the community is employment. Research shows that the unemployment rate for those previously incarcerated is 27%.
A fast-food restaurant founded in 2014, HCT goes beyond hiring men and women with records. The company also provides counseling services, cash advances to help employees avoid predatory lenders, and flexible scheduling to accommodate transportation or other home obligations.
“People ask me, can you really support a business with that kind of mission? Yes. We're proving it every day,” Shane Lyell, HCT's chief operating manager, said. “We're proud of what we do. It's not me. It's taking people who come to work every day. What we like to think is that we can set the example for others.
“You can eat anywhere, but you can't get the message anywhere,” he added. “I am proud of this; the treatment team is proud of this.”
Some states have ban the box laws prohibiting employers from asking about an applicant's criminal history on a job application. Ohio is not one of them.
HCT general manager Dana Neer said...
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