Thistle and Bee, a local nonprofit that aids and empowers women survivors of addiction, sex trafficking, and prostitution, has announced that Autumn Chastain will be their first CEO.
Chastain has 20 years of experience as a lawyer specializing in protecting the rights of trafficking survivors.
“I’ve been an attorney in Memphis for 20 years, and primarily in and around things affecting children, dependency and neglect, delinquency, termination. … I slowly ended up being one of the go-tos for cases involving human trafficking,” says Chastain.
“I also worked with different organizations internationally, combining efforts of foreign governments and things to establish some safe procedures and harbors and education outside the United States on trafficking.”
Chastain’s legal background and passion for protecting the rights of trafficking victims make her an ideal fit for Thistle and Bee, where the women served by the organization are taught how to care for bees, harvest and bottle honey, and make honey-based products –– such as flavored granola, candy, coffee, tea, lip balm, soap –– for several local retail outlets and farmers markets.
“I’ve also owned retail stores in Memphis for a while,” Chastain continues, “and someone came to me and said that Thistle and Bee was looking for a new chief executive officer, so I thought, oh, I mean, retail, and law with trafficking –– all of it in one place, all of my interests in one thing, instead of me in multiple different areas. Okay, ‘sign me up.’ And it was just a great fit.”
At Thistle and Bee, the women are able to earn an income and gain professional skills through their social enterprise program while engaging with the wraparound services offered via the residential program.
“Our social enterprise is not a business with a mission; it’s a mission with a business,” states Becca Stevens, Founder of Thistle Farms, on their website.
As a complement to the social enterprise program, the two-year residential program offers a safe place where the women can focus on healing and recovery.
“[It] provides them safe housing in a community safe house environment, where we provide all of their medical, mental health, dental recovery needs. And that’s all free of charge to them. And in addition to it, we have financial literacy, we have physical wellness, and art therapies,” Chastain explains.
“It’s called The Hive. And everything from circle time, where they share and explore, to their to 12-step programs, to the mental health counseling or medication management partnerships, they are always engaged in some sort of therapy or development throughout each day with our different partners.”
The women at Thistle and Bee don’t all work with bees, though. Like the services and therapy options offered at The Hive, work opportunities are likewise tailored to the individual.
“Our goal is to help each woman find their inner worth, their passion, their skill set. And so we have some that really enjoy the harmony of working with the bees and the comfort,” Chastain says. “We have those that want to be at the farmers markets, sharing their story, selling the products. And we have others that want to stay in the kitchen and just do granola.”
Thistle and Bee also offers support in other unique ways, such as getting a woman’s driver’s license renewed, taking care of her past fines and court costs, helping her build her credit, or anything else that might bolster success.
Beyond hiring a CEO, 2022 will be a big year for Thistle and Bee. In the next several months, Thistle and Bee will launch a corporate gift program, seek to acquire an additional residential home for women transitioning out of the program, and host at least two honey-themed fundraising events.
“One of my biggest goals is to help raise awareness that we are here and we’re a resource,” says Chastain.
Those looking to support the organization should keep an eye out for their Virtual Honey Tasting on June 26th and the Honey Harvest Fundraiser on September 25th. But in the meantime, there are other ways to show your support. Visit ThistleandBee.org to donate, volunteer, or purchase some locally sourced honey, granola, and other honey-based products –– or find them at the Memphis Farmers Market.