By Amy Wooten

Staff Writer

It’s been one sweet year for a local bakery with a big heart.

Sweet Miss Giving’s just celebrated its one-year anniversary. The bakery, which is part-owned by local HIV/AIDS agency Chicago House, provides job training and placement for people impacted by HIV/AIDS in addition to creating tasty treats. Over 50 percent of Sweet Miss Giving’s profits go directly back into Chicago House.

In the past months, Sweet Miss Giving’s has done much more than pump out delectable goodies. Since it began operations on Oct. 23, 2008, it has graduated two classes of interns and grown tremendously, despite the fact that the recession reared its ugly head shortly after the bakery turned on its ovens for the first time.

“Despite the bad economy, we continue to grow,” said Chicago House executive director and Sweet Miss Giving’s mastermind Stan Sloan.

“The growth has been tremendous,”

Sloan said. In January of this year, Sweet Miss Giving’s had $6,000 in sales. In September it had $36,000.

The business is also expanding its reach. On Nov. 12, Sweet Miss Giving’s will open a kiosk in the Ogilvie Transportation Center. It is also going to open kiosks in two additional Whole Foods stores (right now you can find their products at the Lakeview and South Loop Whole Foods). And while the business is currently thriving on wholesale orders, it hopes to open more kiosks in other parts of the city, possibly open a retail space and focus more on catering.

Sweet Miss Giving’s was initially designed as a catering business, but when the recession hit, most businesses stopped catering meetings and events. Luckily, the bakery was able to successfully garner wholesale clients.

“We continue to be surprised by huge wholesale orders,” Sloan said.

However, Sloan said he is seeing an increased demand for catering as word about Sweet Miss Giving’s spreads. In the past year, Sweet Miss Giving’s has catered to several large companies, as well as local colleges and universities. “Our catering keeps picking up, which is huge,” Sloan said. “We’re finally at a point where people are calling us.”

“I really think part of the success is having a social mission tied together with a really good product,” he added.

While the business is booming, one thing remains constant: the focus on proving hands-on experience and training to people affected by HIV/AIDS.

A fresh class of interns have been on the job for a little over a month. For many, it’s their first time baking or their first job in a long time. For all, it’s an opportunity that gives them hope and helps transform their lives.

“We look forward to getting here on time to see what’s next,” said Robert, one of 14 new interns. “This has changed my life. It really has. The team we have here is great.”

At first, Sloan said he was concerned about finding jobs for Sweet Miss Giving’s graduates, given the economy. But many graduates have been placed in jobs. Some have even stayed on as Sweet Miss Giving’s staff members, too.

“Our local connections have been really good to us,” Sloan said.

The new class will be busy bees for quite some time, because Sweet Miss Giving’s is gearing up for the upcoming holiday season. The bakery offers oodles of scrumptious gift items that can be shipped anywhere, so staff members have been extra busy creating and perfecting new fall and winter products, such as pumpkin cheesecake and peppermint brownies.

“We’re hanging in there and loving it,” Robert said.

Sweet Miss Giving’s is located at 1229 N. North Branch. Visit sweetmissgivings.com to learn more.