Yonkers bakery gives former inmates a second chance

Greyston Bakery was founded by a Zen Buddhist who believed his employees should never had to submit a resume, fill out an application, or go for that final interview.

News 12 Staff

Feb 5, 2019, 12:11 PM

Updated 1,998 days ago

Share:

A Yonkers bakery is doing so much more for the community than just serving up some delicious treats. 
Greyston Bakery produces thousands of pounds of brownies for Ben & Jerry's ice cream. It also produces second chances.
Dion Drew is a supervisor at Greyston Bakery, a bakery founded by a Zen Buddhist who believed his employees should never have to submit a resume, fill out an application or go for that final interview.
Drew says he has gone from being behind bars to behind the assembly line. "Dropped out of school and basically got into selling drugs to help my mom. I was in and out of prison and things didn't go the way I wanted it to go."

His life changed 10 years ago this month when he put his name on a piece of paper at Greyston. He was hired to work on the assembly line with no questions asked. "Nobody wanted to hire me, they were always talking about my past. I wasn't good at interviews. I never had a job or interview before."
Drew says not only is he making, testing and inspecting the sweet treats, but he is also changing attitudes and perceptions in the process. He now has his own TED Talk video in which he encourages kids to choose the right path. He even invites them to come and have a brownie, on him.   "I'm going to talk to you and uplift you. Like people have been doing for years and many years." 
Cassandra Cardinez, a mom of three who got involved with the wrong crowd, has similar story to Drew’s. She say she did four years in a state prison and could get a second chance once she got out. "Once they see the felony, it doesn't matter what your resume is, your background. They shut doors," says Cardinez.
But Greyston's doors were open. They promoted Cassandra, who went from packer to taste-tester and who now leaves work every day smiling, "with a bag of brownies!"


More from News 12
1:40
Lithium-ion battery fire blamed for closure of Newburgh tailor shop

Lithium-ion battery fire blamed for closure of Newburgh tailor shop

1:56
Sunny skies and warm temps for Saturday in the Hudson Valley

Sunny skies and warm temps for Saturday in the Hudson Valley

0:38
Multimillion-dollar transformation on the way for sections of Hudson Valley

Multimillion-dollar transformation on the way for sections of Hudson Valley

0:32
Veteran firefighter who suffered stroke receives warm welcome home

Veteran firefighter who suffered stroke receives warm welcome home

0:17
Yorktown police sergeant celebrates final walkout following 2 decades of service

Yorktown police sergeant celebrates final walkout following 2 decades of service

0:52
Slate Hill family of 5 loses home in afternoon blaze

Slate Hill family of 5 loses home in afternoon blaze

0:37
2 people charged in Middletown narcotics; firearms bust

2 people charged in Middletown narcotics; firearms bust

1:30
Motorcycle, van crash in Greenburgh causes serious injuries

Motorcycle, van crash in Greenburgh causes serious injuries

0:56
News 12 probes mystery cloud traced to Orange County & seen throughout tri-state area

News 12 probes mystery cloud traced to Orange County & seen throughout tri-state area

1:02
Hillcrest Fire Department receives 2,000 cans of drinking water, courtesy of Anheuser-Busch

Hillcrest Fire Department receives 2,000 cans of drinking water, courtesy of Anheuser-Busch

1:37
Storm Watch Team Meteorologist Skyler Harman strikes down lightning myths

Storm Watch Team Meteorologist Skyler Harman strikes down lightning myths

2:33
Can swimming become dangerous due to extremely high water surface temperatures?

Can swimming become dangerous due to extremely high water surface temperatures?

0:32
NYC officials: Westchester caseworker’s death ruled a homicide

NYC officials: Westchester caseworker’s death ruled a homicide

0:40
State, federal lawmakers introduce legislation to shorten funding gap for World Trade Center Health Program

State, federal lawmakers introduce legislation to shorten funding gap for World Trade Center Health Program

0:34
Ex Frito-Lay employee files defamation lawsuit against PepsiCo claiming he invented ‘Flamin’ Hot Cheetos

Ex Frito-Lay employee files defamation lawsuit against PepsiCo claiming he invented ‘Flamin’ Hot Cheetos

0:40
Executive orders still in place preventing Rockland County and Orange County hotels from converting into migrant shelters

Executive orders still in place preventing Rockland County and Orange County hotels from converting into migrant shelters

0:54
Headlines: Drug ring prison sentence, Newburgh felony charge, uptick in car thefts in Briarcliff Manor

Headlines: Drug ring prison sentence, Newburgh felony charge, uptick in car thefts in Briarcliff Manor

0:20
Man sentence to 10 years in prison for running Orange County drug ring

Man sentence to 10 years in prison for running Orange County drug ring

1:18
Town of Wallkill propose noise ordinances at Orange County fairgrounds

Town of Wallkill propose noise ordinances at Orange County fairgrounds

0:34
Finger in salad lawsuit against Chop’t discontinued

Finger in salad lawsuit against Chop’t discontinued