Congratulations to Project Return, Maine Works and Working Fields on their expansion into new markets!

‍Project Return has opened a new office in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with funding from a state grant and the Unum and Chattanooga Gas foundations. The Nashville-based organization places formerly incarcerated people into jobs through its PRO Employment staffing enterprise, and provides individuals with a wide range of supportive services to ensure their successful transition into the community. Recidivism among Project Return's Nashville participants is less than a third of the statewide average.

MaineWorks, which employs job seekers in recovery from substance use disorder, has expanded into Massachusetts from its hub in Portland, Maine. The business specializes in commercial construction and will serve the I-495 corridor from New Hampshire south to Boston's metro area. MaineWorks has built a solid brand with major contractors and construction firms in the region and works with Associated General Contractors, a trade group, to offer workers pre-apprenticeship training and certification for advancement in the construction trades.

Working Fields operates its mission-driven staffing agency throughout Vermont, opening a fourth office in Springfield last June, and adding a fifth site in Manchester, New Hampshire this fall. The Manchester branch marks the agency's first venture out-of-state and the mid-point in their plan to grow to 10 offices by 2025. Working Fields recruits job seekers who are recovering from substance use disorder or formerly incarcerated, matches them with employment opportunities in diverse industries, and provides recovery coaching to support their long-term success.

We celebrate these enterprises as they scale their businesses and increase their impact, creating new opportunities for job seekers who often struggle to enter the labor market, and helping quality employers find motivated talent!