MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Every Tuesday, as part of our Greater Memphis on a Mission series, we highlight organizations making Memphis better. This week, we caught up with a group that believes in preparing employees for a sustainable living wage career.

Binghampton Development Corporation is dedicated to lifting the quality of life of the residents in the Binghampton community. Their business hub recycles streetlights, mattresses, and tires, and they also offer 3rd party logistics warehousing services.

Through recycling, they’re able to create jobs and enhance economic opportunities with their warehouse-based on-the-job training program.

Ruthie Miller is almost a year into her on-the-job training program with the BDC Business Hub.

“They’re paying us to learn. They’re educating us. They’re preparing us for the next chapter of our life,” said Miller. “When I first got here, I didn’t know anything about the business, but I learned very quickly. I learned about scrap metal and OSHA forklift driving. I had no experience in any of that, but they offered those opportunities for growth.”

Antwoine Clark is the employee development manager.

“We have created a space where they not only get some hard skills, a forklift license, they get OSHA certification, scrap certification with the things that we’re handling, and they also get an opportunity to get into apprenticeship,” he said.

Program participants get paid $12 to $16 an hour over the course of the time they are there. They also have financial literacy classes.

“We are walking them through budgeting and finances, not just on a theory base, but we try to incentivize them working through the practicum of it,” said Clark. “There’s a savings program we created. We match funds for them to save towards things like getting a car, home repair, education, and entrepreneurship.”

They also help walk employees through building a resume.

“Not just talking about a resume, but helping them to create a resume, a cover letter. We talk about communication skills. We talk about just, you know, things to help you to be employed at a self-sufficient level,” Clark said.

“There was a time where I wasn’t responsible, I wasn’t doing what I needed to do. But coming here, and them giving me a chance to rebuild my life and help me do that, it’s given me stability,” said Miller.

That is why Brown Missionary Baptist Church and the Mid-South Genesis CDC donated $1,000 to the BDC Business Hub. Because through the art of recycling, second chances are born.