GREENSBORO, N.C. — A new recycling center opening in Greensboro has a powerful cause behind it. It's not only good for the environment, it sets homeless people in Greensboro on a path to a better life.

• The Tiny House Community Development Non-Profit has revived a closed recycling center, and given it new purpose.
• The money funded from recycling scrap metals turns into funds to build tiny homes for people who are homeless.
• They train individuals who are homeless in learning construction skills, and they receive a certification at the end of the program that starts their career in construction.

Recycling scrap metal is a job people like Phillip Guerrero are grateful to have.  

"I was homeless for two years. I got straightened out and started coming up here volunteering. I volunteered for about six months, and they offered me a position here to help out,” Guerrero said.

Guerrero is now the lead carpenter at the new recycling center. The Tiny House Community Development Non-Profit has revived a closed recycling center, and given it new purpose.

"We are able to take those funds and use them to buy materials to build tiny houses for people who are homeless,” said Executive Board Chair of the Tiny House Community Development Non-Profit Scott Jones. “And it also gives individuals an opportunity to donate materials. So if they have metal, scrap metal, appliances... they can actually bring those here or we can go pick them up and give them a donation letter for those type of materials."

It makes a great tax write-off or the group can also pay you for the material you bring in.

There's more than just recycling going on at the recycling center. The money funded from recycling scrap metals turns into funds to build tiny homes for people who are homeless. The homeless or formerly homeless men and women working on them are benefiting as well.

"We train individuals who are homeless or individuals who are just adults struggling to find employment. They'll actually be able to come in and learn construction skills, the core construction skills, receive a certification at the end of the program,” Jones explained.

That certification along with a letter of recommendation starts them on a career path.

"Once they leave our training program, they'll actually be able to go right into a construction site and go to work,” Jones said.

"It's helped me get a lot of different skills, have a new skill set now for learning how to build houses, how to frame them, how they're put together,” Guerrero said.

It's a path Guerrero couldn't imagine 14 months ago. He is living at the Oxford House now, and one day, hopes to move into one of the tiny houses he has helped build, which is bringing this effort full-circle.

"It's nice seeing these houses being built to help people get off the streets and give them a step up instead of a handout,” Guerrero said.

The non-profit hopes to break the vicious cycle of homelessness in the long-term across the Triad. The recycling center opens to the public January 3.