EmployIndy launched the Good Wages Initiative in April 2022 after more than a year of collaboration, deliberation, and strategic planning with a group of community stakeholders. This initiative certifies, celebrates, and showcases Marion County employers that are committed to providing full-time employees both a wage of at least $18/hour and access to health insurance benefits.
Marion County businesses can participate in the Good Wages Initiative as either a Certified Employer or Committed Employer. Certified GWI employers pay all employees $18/hour or more and offer access to health benefits. Committed status is available to employers who do not yet meet one or both of the certification requirements but have created a plan to implement them within two years.
55 companies have signed on to the Good Wages Initiative, spanning a diverse group of industries and organizational sizes. Of those 54, 51 are recognized as Good Wages Initiative Certified Employers, including Second Helpings.
Second Helpings was founded in 1998 by three chefs seeking to solve four problems – food waste, hunger, job training, and food service talent pipeline development – with one innovative solution: transform unused food into meals and jobs. The nonprofit organization has grown incredibly since then and currently turns 300,000 pounds of rescued food into more than 85,000 meals every month. Second Helpings is unique among the Good Wages Initiative employer partners, as it is the first employer to make the transition from Committed Status to Certified Status – the organization raised wages in July 2022 to meet its goal of paying a wage of at least $18/hr and offering employer-sponsored health insurance benefits to all of its 33 full-time employees.
Two employees shared their experiences at Second Helpings and what it means for the organization to commit to its employees through the Good Wages Initiative. Rich Guerrero and Carl Hinshaw are both Hunger Relief Kitchen Assistants with the organization. Guerrero started with Second Helpings in September 2020 as a temporary worker – he specifically requested to be placed at the organization – and transitioned to his current role in July 2021. Hinshaw has been with Second Helpings for about two months, coming on as a full-time staff member after volunteering for a year, and the job interview that landed him the role was actually on his first year volunteering anniversary.
“I knew from day 1 that I didn’t want to be anywhere else, and it had been a long time since I loved coming to work every day,” Guerrero said, adding, “I have been through ups and downs while I’ve worked here, and no one has given up on me.” Hinshaw shared that the $18/hr wage grabbed his attention, saying, “That’s $5 more per hour than I’ve ever made in my life after a whole career in food service.”
As Hunger Relief Kitchen Assistants, Guerrero and Hinshaw supervise the entire food production process, including creating recipes out of rescued food. They manage volunteers, and make sure they have a good time and want to come back while working under pressure; they only have about 72 hours to get the food back into the community. When asked about what they enjoy most, Hinshaw responded, “When I look at our cooler for outgoing meals, I get to think, ‘Wow, this whole cooler was empty this morning, but we made it through all of the chaos to fill it up with meals ready to go out into our community.’” Guerrero added, “My favorite part of this job is the opportunity to work with volunteers. People come in every week because they don’t want to let us down. I know that every time I come to work, someone will ask how I’m doing and really cares. Working with people of all different backgrounds here has also made me think differently now about people I meet in the outside world.”
Second Helpings raised wages in July, and this increase in take-home pay has had a significant and positive impact on both Guerrero and Hinshaw. Hinshaw shared that “this initiative has enabled my partner to stay home and not work. It has enabled the highest earnings of my career. I’m lucky to feel in good financial shape as I look towards the future.”
Guerrero remembered the moment the pay increase was announced: “When our leadership team announced the changes with the Good Wages Initiative, I had tears running down my face. I started in September 2020 at $12/hour, and by May 2022 I was making $18 – that’s a 50% increase in income. I could now afford to buy a car, and not worry about how to pay my rent. This has provided an easier way to live and makes everything less stressful.” He continued, “It provides an opportunity to be autonomous when you never were before. I’m able to live and take care of myself without government assistance.” He stated that the increased pay has increased his confidence and that it has allowed him to thrive and not worry about his financial situation.
When asked about what it means to work for a company to commit to the Good Wages Initiative and ensure that all full-time employees earn at least $18/hr and have access to employer-sponsored health insurance, Hinshaw talk about needing to find a purpose and shared, “I’ve turned my purpose into a paycheck. It’s pretty lucky.” Guerrero agreed and talked about feeling valued: “It means I’m working at an organization that cares about me, that my wellbeing is important to them. I’m blessed that Second Helpings is participating in this initiative, and I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
To learn more about Second Helpings, visit https://www.secondhelpings.org/.
To learn more about GWI, visit https://goodwagesindy.org/.