As a candy manufacturer, American Licorice Company has invested in happiness over the years, considering itself to be in the “happiness business” and proud of that reputation. However, American Licorice seeks to go beyond making candy to create deep, meaningful connections and partnerships in the community, locally, nationally, and even globally. As children and families constitute a large portion of American Licorice’s consumer demographic, it has created a new mission, “For a Sweeter Start,” to better serve that population.
“To really maximize our impact, we had to be much more narrow in the type of work we wanted to focus on. That way, we could really have this transformational experience with people, rather than simple transactions where we write a donation check and then check that box and move on,” said American Licorice Corporate Communications Manager Liz Boyna. “We really want to work with young people and families, so we shifted towards a mission that focuses on supporting young people in their social-emotional health and well-being to give them a sweeter start in life. We focus on communities that are under-resourced and where systemic inequity is very pervasive.”
After many conversations assessing how American Licorice had served its communities in the past, Boyna and other American Licorice staff recognized its natural bent toward helping kids and families. In the past, American Licorice had worked with high school mentorships, food pantries, Child and Family Services, and more.
American Licorice has intentionally chosen to work with local partners that support young people through a variety of resources. While American Licorice has worked with partners that support children prior to the “For a Sweeter Start” mission, this new mission solidifies its focus and enables it to dive into deeper connections rather than support several missions on a surface level.
“I think this mission definitely prepared us to have these partnership conversations and get our mission across. We're also starting to see more engagement from our team members because they want to be a part of these different initiatives that we're doing in the community,” Boyna said. “If you're working at a place that is willing to invest in its team members and the community around you, it gives you a little extra something to be proud of. We want people to feel that way, so we're trying to do right by our team by making sure that what we're doing in the community is meaningful. For our folks, helping kids and families is especially meaningful.”
A few organizations American Licorice has partnered with to better the lives of children and families include Boys & Girls Clubs of La Porte County, Tri-City Volunteers, Black Girls Golf, Kids in Need Foundation & Flanner House.
For more information about American Licorice and its commitment to serving kids and families through its “For a Sweeter Start” mission, follow @americanlicoricecompany on social media.
