Unlocking Potential: KeHE Highlights Second Chance Partners
Since 2017, the United States has observed April as Second Chance Month, highlighting the nationwide effort to empower those impacted by the justice system. The scale of this issue is often underestimated: approximately one in three U.S. adults has a criminal record, roughly the same number of people who hold a college degree.
Second Chance hiring (or Fair Chance hiring) is a proactive way organizations are addressing this reality. By intentionally considering candidates with criminal records rather than automatically screening them out, employers embrace a powerful principle: a past conviction should not permanently bar a person from finding meaningful work.
At KeHE Distributors, Fair Chance hiring is a cornerstone of our Hidden Talent Initiative. Through this program, we source and recruit candidates from traditionally underestimated populations, including justice-impacted individuals, adults with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, and Veterans.
We invest in this work because we believe that while talent is distributed equally, opportunity is not. In honor of Second Chance Month, we are highlighting the community organizations across the country that partner with us to support job seekers in overcoming systemic barriers and finding a path to meaningful employment.
Ready To Work – Stockton, CA
The Ready To Work (RTW) program opens the doors of hope, transformation, and stability to formerly homeless and incarcerated men – rebuilding, restoring and revitalizing their lives. At Ready To Work, they seek to address the core of the social, economic, or addiction issues that brought a participant to the program. With shelter, food, and basic safety issues being met, personal development and individual needs can be assessed, and their students can begin the restoration process.
Breakthrough – Denver, CO
Breakthrough is a non-profit organization that transforms the lives of people with criminal histories and the community’s perception of the incarcerated population. Their holistic approach includes an in-facility career education program, community engagement, re-entry support, a fair opportunity hiring program, and criminal justice advocacy initiatives. In addition to being a Hidden Talent Initiative partner, Breakthrough is also a partner of KeHE Cares and was one of the non-profits highlighted at the 2026 KeHE Summer Show.
FreeWorld Trucking – National
FreeWorld empowers formerly incarcerated individuals to secure living-wage jobs, fostering financial independence and mobility. Their comprehensive program offers a rapid pathway to financial stability through CDL trucking training, job placement services, and a supportive community, ensuring participants thrive on their own terms.