Faithventure Forum

God smiles when we take throw away stuff and use it to employ individuals rebuilding lives from addiction, homelessness and prison. Since 1995, Belay Enterprises has started four faith ventures to employ individuals rebuilding lives from addiction, homelessness or prison. We are in the process of incubating several new projects towards our goal of creating 750 jobs a year by 2016. Over the last 16 years, we have been most successful achieving our goals in the business ventures that include a recycling component. There is a definite sweet spot of results when we use society’s throw away items to create opportunity for those in our community deemed unemployable. If you’re considering starting a business as mission to employ individuals coming out of prison, it’s well worth your time to explore recycling as a business opportunity.

Snow storms and 9News seem to play a recurring role in building faith venture businesses in the Denver area. 11 year ago, a major snow storm and a 9News live remote played a key role in b oosting the profile of Bud’s Warehouse , a business as mission that hires individuals rebuilding lives from homelessness, addiction and prison. This past November, the pattern repeated itself when 9News used the season’s first snow storm to profile Metal Mover’s snow tire business . But people probably don’t realize that Metal Movers is one of the area’s most exciting for-profit faith ventures, committed to employing ex-offenders and other individuals rebuilding lives while serving the community. Metal Mover’s has grown rapidly in 6 years largely because of the passion and tremendous personal story of founder George Medley. It started a short time ago with George and his wife pulling cars with a tow rope. Very quickly it has blossomed into multi-million dollar firm employing over 35 employees a...

Electronic Recyclers International, Inc. is an innovative triple bottom line faith venture enterprise that actively seeks to employ ex-offenders and former gang members while benefiting the environment: John Shegerian, CEO of Electronics Recyclers International, was one of the co-founders of faith venture Homeboy Industries back in 1993. In a recent BNET post, Why I Hire Former Convicts and Gang Members , he details how that experience was a foundational moment in his life and impacts his current venture. He is now a vocal advocate for hiring ex-offenders: I think our hiring practices make our company stronger because they show that our management is sensitive to the human condition. We’re all one accident or one tragedy away from being in a tight spot. Business can be a battle, but when a company shows its DNA this way, it makes for a very tight-knit group and helps us work together. There’s not a community in America that isn’t suffering from drug, gang, and recidivism...