Detroit nonprofit teaching life skills through baking and selling brownies

    DETROIT, Michigan (WWJ) -- There's something special that happens in the kitchen while baking with the right ingredients and people.

Just ask Ruben Gordon, the program manager of the Better Detroit Brownie Company.

"The Better Detroit brownie company is where great kids, great brownies and great causes get together for our greater Detroit," Gordon said.

The nonprofit teaches children and teens skills that can be used in business and life.

"They learn so much through banking, patience, confidence, mathematics, measurements and metric systems. Those are virtues that I didn't realize were so inherent in helping young people develop in a very natural way," Gordon said.

The idea came from a young man on the advisory board of the Better Detroit Youth Movement, the nonprofit's parent organization.

"When we look at young people, we look at how to really impact and create opportunities that go beyond what most think young people should be involved in," Harlan Bivens, co-founder of the Better Detroit Youth Movement said.

After many long hours in the kitchen experimenting with different flavors, the nonprofit has about a dozen brownie recipes like coffee-toffee crunch and seasonal peppermint chocolate that can be found at local retailers or ordered online.

"I think, you know, this is a very unique way to engage the community. A nice, sweet and savory way," Bivens said.

Those who buy brownies are supporting other youth programs.

"What happens is, when they bake brownies with us, they then have the opportunity to go out and sell brownies that they bake, they earn a percentage of money and they donate a percentage of money back into the program that they're a part of," Gordon said.