Cleaning company employs women who are in recovery
Mindy Jones, left, is the owner of Ashes2Beauty, a cleaning service that employs women in recovery to help them get back on their feet. Evelyn Baker is one of those women.
Fresh out of rehab for addiction five years ago, Mindy Jones started cleaning houses to earn an income. Since then Jones has parlayed that experience into a business called Ashes2Beauty, which employs women in recovery.
Jones also is the live-in house manager at Beneath the Shade, a Christ-centered transitional living space for women in recovery from addiction. Most of her employees have come from BTS.
“God kind of put a vision in my heart to have a cleaning company that gives women fresh out of rehab an opportunity to earn an income. I’ve only employed people in recovery since,” Jones said.
As for the name, Jones said that came to her from God. It’s based on the first two Bible verses in Isaiah 61, in which Isaiah said God sent him to comfort all who mourn and “to bestow upon them a crown of beauty instead of ashes.”
To Jones, the idea of turning ashes to beauty applies not just to the homes she cleans, but also to the women in recovery.
“When people come into BTS, they are sober, but they don’t have anything,” Jones said. “This gives them an opportunity to take their life that’s in ashes and turn it into a beautiful thing.”
All women who come to BTS in search of sobriety are offered a job with Ashes2Beauty but are not required to take it. “It’s an opportunity we offer them, but what they do with it is up to them,” Jones said.
Transportation is provided to the women who choose to work for Ashes2Beauty. It’s an opportunity to serve the community, hold a legitimate job and interact with others. “It’s a win-win for everyone,” Jones said.
More than a job
Evelyn Baker has been working for Ashes2Beauty for a little over five months. “I’ve been through a lot,” she said. “The chance to interact with our clients and the other ladies while we’re working has been very healing. It also gives us the opportunity to break the stigma some people have about addiction.”
Baker said the job also gives her the flexibility she needs to pursue her degree in Christian ministry by attending school online. Had it not been for Ashes2Beauty, Baker said she would probably have gone back to work as a waitress.
“But that puts me in environments that can be a little bit sketchy for me, and it doesn’t really give me time to focus on any type of inner growth or passions that I have. So it would actually have left me with a lot of the same character defects that I had when I was in active addiction, so it’s just a huge blessing,” Baker said.
Women working for Ashes2Beauty also gain confidence, according to Jones.
“There’s something to be said for making your own money,” Jones said. “A lot of these women come from some tough situations where they are making money in ways that aren’t always above board. So to be able to legitimately go to work for your money and then have that reward is a big lift to them.”
Ashes2Beauty provides a range of cleaning services but specializes in residential and short-term rentals such as Airbnb and VRBOs. Clients can choose how often they want cleaning, whether it’s weekly, biweekly, monthly or even just a one-time occasion. Post-event and post-construction cleaning are available as well.
Visit Ashes2Beauty LLC on Facebook. For an estimate or to schedule a cleaning, call 269-625-8298.