FAQs

Safety Warning: Beans, peas, and lentils are natural agricultural products. Despite use of modern agricultural equipment, it is not always possible to remove all foreign material. Sort and rinse before cooking.

Yes. Here is a list of our products that are vegan:

• Soup and Chili Mixes (Some of our recipes call for chicken stock or suggest adding meat, but they can be altered very easily to accommodate a vegan diet – i.e. replace with vegetable broth and don’t add meat).
• Instant Rice and Bean Cups
• Spice Blends
• Coffee & Teas
• Rainbow Popcorn with Salt & Pepper Seasoning
• Most of our baking mixes when added ingredients [such as eggs, butter, milk] are not combined to recipes (including Golden Cornbread, Gluten-Free Cornbread, Chocolate Brownies, Snickerdoodle Cookies, Cream Scones)

Women’s Bean Project strives to make responsible choices when purchasing the ingredients used to produce our products. We purchase all our non-organic beans from a supplier in Nebraska named Kelley Bean Company, and a non-GMO statement is available on their website. In addition, all spices, herbs, grains, and popcorn kernels we use are currently non-GMO.

Beans and spices are naturally gluten free foods, making a good amount of our products we make gluten free. However, the only product we carry that is produced and packaged in a dedicated gluten free environment is our gluten free cornbread and is clearly labeled as such on the packaging.

No. All of our products (with the exception of our mixed jelly beans) do not contain additives or preservatives and all ingredients are clearly marked on the labels.

No. Although we use certain ingredients that are certified organic, Women’s Bean Project is not USDA Certified Organic facility, nor are we non-GMO certified through any independent organization. Food safety however, is a top priority for us. We are currently in compliance with the requirements and criteria laid down in the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) protocol at the basic level.

Women’s Bean Project currently has 20 products that are kosher certified by Scroll K/Vaad Hakashrus of Denver, which are clearly labeled as such on the packaging. Check out this full list of our kosher certified products.

Women’s Bean Project produces and packages shelf stable food mixes and ready-to-eat food products from dry ingredients. As a customer courtesy, we place a ‘Best By’ date sticker on the bottom of all finished product packaging. This indicates the recommended date in which a product be consumed by for optimal quality and freshness. In other words, we believe the product is best if consumed by the date printed on the bottom of its packaging. This date is determined with the consideration of all product components and set by product type as listed below:

• Soup + Chili Mixes: 24 months
• Spice Blends: 24 months
• Rice and Bean Cups: 18 months
• Jelly Beans: 18 months
• Espresso Beans: 12 months
• Baked Goods Mixes: 12 months
• Popcorn: 12 months
• Dog Treats: 12 months
• Snacks: 9 months to 16 months (depending on the snack)
• Whole Bean Coffee: 6 months

The customer must use their own discretion on product consumption when the date of their product is past the date of optimal freshness (Best By). The decision could depend on several factors, including the conditions under which product was stored, and if the product has discoloration, an unusual odor, or has a noticeably changed appearance. For example, if the product was refrigerated, or kept in a cool dry place, and looks and smells normal this should allow for consumption significantly after the Best By date has passed. If any signs of degradation are evident it’s best to discard the product.

A nutrient-dense super food, beans contain protein, energy packed complex carbohydrates, antioxidants and phytochemicals, as well as important vitamins and minerals such as folate, manganese, potassium, iron, phosphorous, copper, and magnesium. Unlike meat-based proteins, beans are naturally low in fat, are free of saturated and trans-fat, and are a cholesterol free source of protein. Dietary research shows that a diet including beans may reduce your risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

• BEANS reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.  Beans boast a low glycemic index and contain complex carbohydrates, which are digested slowly. These facts make beans a good choice for people needing to keep their blood sugar in the normal range.
• BEANS encourage weight loss.  Beans are naturally low in fat, an excellent source of fiber, and a good source of protein. Research shows that people who eat more fiber tend to weigh less. Protein helps you feel full and promotes muscle building.
• BEANS reduce cancer risk.  Beans are a natural source of antioxidants and phytochemicals. research reveals that a diet including beans may reduce your risk of certain cancers.
• BEANS are great for pregnancy & healthy babies.  Folate, a vitamin very important for pregnant women and their unborn babies, is found in beans. During pregnancy, women need more folate. Expectant mothers who consume enough of the right nutrients can help reduce the risk of birth defects.
• BEANS are great for heart health.  Unlike meat-based proteins, beans are naturally low in fat, are free of saturated fat and trans-fat, and are a cholesterol-free source of protein. Research shows that a diet including beans may reduce your risk of heart disease.
• BEANS are a great alternative for food allergies.  Because beans don’t contain gluten, or major allergens found in various grains, substituting beans can help provide the fiber and other nutrients that people on restricted diets may be missing.

There are different ways to soak and cook beans depending on your timeframe (slow, fast, super-fast). All our products include recipes that will indicate the recommended method of preparing and cooking that product. Four of our six soup and chili mixes can be prepared and cooked on the stove top, slow cooker or Instant Pot®. Lentil and Split Pea soups are recommended for stove top cooking. Follow recipe instructions on packaging or our recipes online.

Follow these easy steps to soak and cook dry beans:

1. Sort dry beans making sure there are no rocks, sticks or other debris.
2. Rinse your beans with clean water.
3. Put rinsed beans in a pot and cover them with water. Rule of thumb is to use 1-part bean, 2 parts water ratio, but you can use more water (follow recipe instructions).
4. Soak beans overnight.
5. The next day, rinse the beans again and refill water. The water should cover the beans.
6. Bring the beans to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer. Cook the beans from 1-3 hours. Some beans take longer to cook than others.
7. Beans become soft when done. You can scoop up a few beans in a spoon and lightly blow on them, if the bean skin peels away they are done.

Lentils and split peas don’t need presoaking; they take only 1-1 1/2 cup beans and cook in 20-35 minutes.

To best serve you, we recommend you create an account with us so that you have your own profile and easy access placing orders and viewing order history, tracking, bill to, ship to, etc. You can also shop as a guest, but these features won’t be available.

If you are having trouble placing your online order, please contact our office at 303-292-1919, or email [email protected] and we will be more than happy to assist you Monday – Friday, 8:00AM-4:30PM.

Yes. You will receive an order confirmation email that your order was received immediately after placing your online order. Once we process and ship your order, you will then receive a shipping confirmation email that includes the tracking number.

Yes! While you are checking out, you can choose “pick up” as your shipping option. We will then notify you when your order is ready for pick-up at 1300 W Alameda Ave, Denver, CO 80223. We are open Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm.

No. Our website doesn’t allow the functionality to ship to multiple locations. You will have to place individual orders with different ship to addresses.

Our online store accepts all forms of major credit cards. When you shop in our retail store, you can pay with cash, check or credit card.

Women’s Bean Project is in the old Firehouse #10 building at 1300 W Alameda Ave, Denver, CO 80223. We are open to the public Monday-Friday, 8:00AM-4:30PM. Our retail store is located on the second floor.

Yes. For information regarding becoming a wholesale partner, please fill out the online form , or contact our sales department at [email protected] or call 303-292-1919.

You can find stores in your area by using our store finder. If you are looking for a specific product, we suggest you call ahead.

Yes. We offer weekly discounts and specials for online purchases only. If you are interested in receiving specials and promotions, please subscribe to our weekly promotion emails or visit our Weekly Specials page.

Yes. To receive a mail order catalog, click here.

Women’s Bean Project makes every effort to process and ship orders as quickly and accurately as possible. While this is our goal, please keep in mind that we operate a transitional employment training business, so errors do occasionally occur. If your order should arrive containing an error or with any damage to your product, please know that we will use it as a teaching moment with the women working in our business. Please contact us immediately with any issues and we will work with you to resolve the problem as soon as possible.

Visit our Shipping Policy page for more information.

Women’s Bean Project guarantees the quality of its product. Women’s Bean Project is happy to replace any item(s) in the unlikely event that they might be damaged during transit. Since our food products are perishable, all food sales are final. To make sure that you are satisfied with the product you receive, please inspect the contents of your shipment upon arrival and notify us within 3 business days of any problems.

Visit our Return and Refund Policy page for more information.

We are a Colorado 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission to change women’s lives by providing stepping stones to self-sufficiency through social enterprise. Women’s Bean Project believes all women have the power to transform their lives through employment. So we hire women who are chronically unemployed and we teach them to work by making nourishing products that we sell across the US through some of the country’s largest retailers. We offer a transitional job in dry food manufacturing designed to provide women immediate income, arrange support services to overcome barriers to employment, and teach the job readiness and life skills needed to get and keep a job. Through their work at the Bean Project, the women learn to stand tall, find their purpose and break the cycle of poverty. Because when you change a woman’s life, you change her family’s life.

Women’s Bean Project offers a public way to address chronic unemployment, recidivism, welfare dependency and a host of other challenges. The social enterprise model gives Women’s Bean Project a sustainable way to achieve its mission. Over the course of our 6-9 month program, each woman earns a steady paycheck and receives support services to overcome barriers to employment through job readiness, interpersonal and life skills needed to become self-sufficient in the workplace and community. As a result – it ushers women with significant barriers into the economic mainstream. Throughout the course of 6-9 months, we work with Program Participants to help them discover their capabilities, talents and interests.

Back in 1989, our founder, Jossy Eyre, was volunteering at a daytime women’s shelter in Denver, CO. She realized that while the shelter kept the women safe, it could not help them make lasting changes in their lives. To help the women achieve independence and self-sufficiency, she needed to provide an opportunity to experience the dignity of work by learning how to get – and keep – a job. With a holistic approach and $500 of her own money, Erye bought some beans and put two women to work; the start of the social enterprise we are today.

We serve women ages 21+ (no upper limit) who need a helping hand on their journey toward self-sufficiency. While each woman is different, they face variety of barriers to mainstream employment, which can include a lack of marketable skills, low self-esteem, low educational attainment, prior substance abuse, and dependence on public assistance. It is our goal to provide them with a safe and accepting work environment in which to build their skills and self-confidence necessary to help them discover their capabilities, talents and interests and move into mainstream employment.

Most of our women find out about us through word-of-mouth (i.e. someone they knew who was in the program, friend, family member, cousin, neighbor, etc.). Others come to us from community resources and partners such as churches, halfway houses, probation/parole officers, case workers, etc.

We have hire on the last Wednesday of every month. The number of women we hire is dependent on our business needs and sales. Women are in the program for 6-9 months. Yes, we pay the women Colorado minimum wage while working in our business 8:00AM to 4:30PM, Monday through Friday. They are paid for 100% of their time, whether they are working in our business or taking a class, meeting with their mentor, etc.

Our women find work in a wide variety of industries. We work with each participant throughout their time at Women’s Bean Project to identify the type of job opportunities they want to explore. Many have secured jobs in customer service, retail, warehousing, hospitality/food services, construction, landscaping, education, transportation and healthcare.

Yes. We are always accepting applications. Anyone interested in our program can come to Women’s Bean Project and fill out an application and review the qualifications of the program. As the hiring date approaches, our Program Services team will reach out directly with more information. You can also fill out our job inquiry form and our team will get back to you.

Women’s Bean Project can cover about 60% of its expenses through the sale of our products. We raise the other 40% through grants and donations which directly support all the program services.

We would love to have you stay in touch! Please follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Vimeo) and subscribe to our email updates on our website to receive notifications about our program, weekly deal specials and seasonal promotions.

Yes. Volunteerism is essential to Women’s Bean Project’s successful operations. In addition to our volunteer Board of Directors, each year a corps of nearly 250 volunteers offer their time and talent in support of our mission. Volunteers represent Women’s Bean Project to the public in a variety of ways, including representing us at sales events, by helping to recruit program participants and encouraging employers in the community to hire Bean Project graduates. Volunteer groups offer extra hands and high spirits working alongside our women, helping with special projects and seasonal grounds keeping needs.

Visit our Volunteer page for more information.