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In Hagerstown, Maryland, a unique partnership between a crane manufacturer and a women’s recovery center is proving that second chances can lead to thriving careers.

Together, Manitowoc and Brooke’s House have offered both jobs and hope to many women recovering from substance use. As October is Substance Use & Misuse Prevention Month, there is no better time to tell their extraordinary story.

Filling jobs: At the height of COVID-19, the 123-year-old Manitowoc was having difficulty filling open jobs. Kevin Simmers, founder of the residential women’s treatment center Brooke’s House in Hagerstown, heard about the challenge from a friend of his, a general manager at Manitowoc’s Hagerstown facility. His suggestion: Why not hire Brooke’s House graduates?

• Brooke’s House, founded in 2018, three years after the tragic overdose death of Simmers’ daughter Brooke, offers women struggling with substance use a six-month, live-in rehabilitation program that includes workforce development training.
• Since the start of the partnership, Manitowoc has hired more than 40 Brooke’s House graduates, with between 10 and 15 currently on staff.

An untapped talent pool: The “ladies of Brooke’s House,” as Simmers calls them, come to the treatment center from a variety of places—shelters, hospitals, prisons—but by and large they have one thing in common: they want to put their lives back together.

• “Our ladies were living on the streets and going to the bathroom in buckets or holding signs at intersections. Six months later, they are skilled employees at Manitowoc,” Simmers said.
• “This is a huge workforce throughout the country that is untapped. Large employers who are hurting for workforce should be looking at people who are in recovery. Employers will not hire people because of [a] criminal record. … On paper, they seem like a population you are taking a big chance on. But [I don’t] think it’s a big chance at all.”

Committed to success: That’s thanks in part to the significant support provided by Brooke’s House to its residents. During their time at the center, the women participate in Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous recovery programs while receiving outpatient counseling multiple times a week.

• They apply to a job of their choosing through an agency, and once they’re hired on a trial basis by Manitowoc, they undergo a probationary employment period.
• During those six weeks, the women work side by side with a trainer, and if they meet certain benchmarks, they are invited to remain in their roles once the probationary period is over.
• “They’re held to the same standard as everyone [else],” Simmers added.

A bright future: The success rates of Brooke’s House graduates is higher than it is for the general population, with some 80% to 90% of those hired remaining in their positions, according to the company.

• As full-time employees, the women receive health insurance, access to a 401(k) plan and other benefits. Many have gone on to have families, buy homes, seek career advancement and more.

A model graduate: Clarissa T., now a welder at Manitowoc, is a Brooke’s House graduate and a prime example of the positive change created by the treatment center and the manufacturer.

• Formerly homeless and living in Baltimore parks, the young woman suffered from heroin addiction that led to gangrene in her hands.
• “I was very hesitant about welding,” she said. “You know, I’m missing a couple of fingers, my hands are a little messed up. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to weld [but] … it’s amazing. [Working at Manitowoc] gives us an opportunity … to put something together with [our] own hands. Being accepted into such work, being female with our background, I always tell the girls to jump into the Manitowoc opportunity.”
• Today, Clarissa—who has started a family since graduating from Brooke’s House—has been working at Manitowoc for two and a half years.

A strong relationship: Manitowoc, which purchased a van to drive its team members living at Brooke’s House to and from work each day, believes deeply in the mission of Brooke’s House—and intends to continue working with the treatment center.

• This partnership “is not just a feel-good story,” Manitowoc Senior Vice President of Marketing and Investor Relations Ion Warner told Crane & Transport Briefing in early 2024. “We are providing career-building employment opportunities to the women who live in our community. We believe this story embodies the essence of who we are at Manitowoc. It is an example of recruiting new employees while making a positive impact on the communities we serve.”

The last word: As Substance Use & Misuse Prevention Month continues, Manitowoc hopes that its transformative partnership with Brooke’s House will inspire other manufacturers to seek out candidates who have overcome addiction and want to better their lives.

• “We all need to do something to give hope to those in need,” Warner concluded.

To learn more about Brooke’s House and the services it provides, visit its website.