GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation (GRCCT) is called a platform for human flourishing. It's made up of several core partners, The Nehemiah Project, the NAACP, Bethany Christian Services, the 1530 Events Venue and Commercial Kitchen and Building Bridges.
So many people come through the building where they find hope, guidance, and a path forward that will help them not only improve themselves, but their community.
TJ found her place in Building Bridges, where she is a long crew foreman for the lawn care and snow removal company. It only took her a few months to become a leader here. She says as a woman, she appreciates the opportunity to make a difference in her community, in a traditionally male-dominated field.
Chief Operating Officer Nate Beene says TJ’s story is common here because the GRCCT is big on developing leaders. He and his brother, Justin created this model to create workplaces where people feel like they belong, that they can develop and innovate, it’s called the Human Transformation Plan. The program combines leadership, the arts, skill development, culture and more. Building Bridges was one of the first businesses born out of this model in 2007.
Beene says, “it was originally created to basically put young people to work who had been involved in the criminal justice system. Very shortly after that there were partners recognizing the work that we were doing and said, hey, we like what you are doing, do you mow lawns? We said, well now we do.” Today Building Bridges has 30 employees who take care of commercial and residential landscaping, snow plowing, property maintenance and more. Challenging workers like TJ by giving her a chance. Beene says they grow their businesses not for the sake of growth, but to see more and more individuals grow, thrive and move up the ranks to management.
TJ says that’s her goal, to one day start her own company, grow it and maybe put some of her 8 siblings to work. She says, “I’m really proud of myself to show my siblings that I can really make it somewhere far. I don’t plan on making this my last stop, I plan on possibly becoming the director and opening my own lawn care service and then my 8 siblings can work for me someday.”
To learn more about the Center for Community Transformation, head to their website. Building Bridges is taking on more clients and is offering a spring special. If you buy 5 yards of mulch, you get free delivery.