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Life” Work of Western PA
The band stopped by the Ben & Jerry's in Squirrel Hill for two hours on July 22 to scoop and serve ice cream to hundreds of adoring fans. En route from a morning radio promotion at Star 100.7 FM to an evening concert in Seven Springs, the guys jumped right in and were up to their elbows in Ben & Jerry's euphoria (literally) in no time. "We just stopped by to do a favor for a friend," said lead singer Darius Rucker during his on-air radio interview. The "favor" was to participate as Celebrity Scoopers at the store's one-year anniversary.
Life'sWork is part owner of the Squirrel Hill Ben & Jerry's, which makes the store a PartnerShop - a scoop shop that is independently owned and operated by a community-based not-for-profit for the purpose of offering job training to youth who face barriers to employment.
One of 14 Ben & Jerry's PartnerShops in the U.S. and U.K., the Squirrel Hill store is unique in that it is the first partnership venture between a not-for-profit and an established Ben & Jerry's franchisee, Black Dog Ventures. For Life'sWork, the special business arrangement lowers the financial risk of the daily management and operation of the store, freeing up the agency staff to do what they do best - provide opportunities for employment and on-the-job training.
It's a non-traditional joint venture and an innovative model for a social enterprise. "With so many ice cream shops to compete with in Squirrel Hill, we needed a competitive advantage," said McElveen. "And Ben & Jerry's had it." PartnerShops are a big part of Ben & Jerry's social mission, which is "to operate the company in a way that actively recognizes the central role that business plays in society by initiating innovative ways to improve the quality of life locally, nationally & internationally."It's just good business.
For most people, it would make a difference. You might feel like you are making a difference by being socially conscious. That's exactly what you're doing when you buy your ice cream cone at the Squirrel Hill Ben & Jerry's. To learn more about the Squirrel Hill Ben & Jerry's PartnerShop, visit www.benjerry.com/squirrelhill/ About Life'sWork Life'sWork is a not-for-profit agency that helps adults and youth with disabilities, individuals transitioning off public welfare and at-risk youth to achieve independence and dignity through productive employment opportunities. Life'sWork has served an estimated 80,000 people since its inception in 1927. For more information about Life'sWork, call (412) 471-2600 or visit their website at www.lifesworkwpa.org About Hootie & the Blowfish Hootie and the Blowfish released their fifth studio album titled Looking for Lucky on August 9. The multi-platinum quartet - Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, Darius Rucker, and Jim "Soni" Sonefeld - met when they were freshman at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Over the next five years, the band worked their way up from local gigs to shows all over the Carolinas and finally, the entire East Coast. The band released its first smash album, Cracked Rear View in 1994. Check out the band's website at www.hootie.com
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The correct answer is C…if you're talking about Hootie & the Blowfish, of course.
The "friend" was childhood chum Everett McElveen, President and CEO of Life'sWork of Western PA, a Pittsburgh-based agency that helps people with disabilities or other employment barriers to find jobs.
The young adults employed at the store gain experience in all areas of the retail industry, which will ultimately help them to secure a permanent job elsewhere in the community.
Imagine it's a hot summer night, and you want to take the family out for an ice cream cone. Within a one-block radius, you have several ice cream shops to choose from, each offering premium ice cream at approximately the same cost. How do you choose? Would it make a difference if you knew that at one of the shops, proceeds from your purchase will help people with disabilities or other barriers to employment?
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