Building Brighter Futures: How Tellus Invests in the Belle Glade Community Through Project LIFT
Tellus, a U.S.-based compostable tableware company rooted in Belle Glade, Florida, collaborates with Project LIFT to help young adults build manufacturing careers through hands-on vocational training, mentorship and direct employment. This reflects a core operating principle at Tellus: that good business and thriving communities are inseparable goals.
Community investment is front and center at Tellus — it is a core principle that shapes every decision the company makes, from the products and jobs it creates to the collaborations it pursues. That belief is at the heart of the Tellus–Project LIFT collaboration, that is helping young adults in Belle Glade build skills, gain confidence and step into careers in manufacturing. Tellus manufactures plant fiber-based tableware in Belle Glade and hires some of its workforce locally and, through this collaboration with Project LIFT, the company is helping ensure that the next generation of local talent has a clear path forward.
What Is Project LIFT and Why Did Tellus Work Together With Them?
Project LIFT is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping at-risk youth and young adults ages 14 to 24 build productive futures. The organization pairs mental health support with hands-on vocational training in skilled trades — including welding, auto mechanics, HVAC and carpentry — at no cost to participants.
When Project LIFT began expanding its workforce development programming, it sought local employers willing to offer more than a job listing. The organization looked for collaborators prepared to provide real exposure, mentorship and meaningful engagement. Tellus answered. The company opened its plant floor, welcomed participants into its facility and committed to showing young people what a career in manufacturing could look like.
How Does the Tellus–Project LIFT Collaboration Work?
The Tellus–Project LIFT collaboration is active and hands-on. Participants visit Tellus's Belle Glade manufacturing plant to see firsthand how renewable plant fibers are transformed into finished tableware — from forming and quality checks to packaging and shipping. The Tellus team introduces participants to the full range of roles that keep a manufacturing operation running: production, logistics, quality assurance and skilled trades.
Tellus team members also share their own career journeys, including the challenges they navigated and the lessons they carried forward. For many participants, stepping onto a working factory floor is the first time they can picture themselves in that environment. That moment of possibility is where change begins. From there, the collaboration creates a direct bridge from vocational training to real employment in Belle Glade.
The People the Collaboration Reaches
The impact of this collaboration is best measured in the people it serves. Three Tellus team members — Elijah Holland, Julissa Atkins and Olsmith Petit-Frere — represent what this working collaboration can make possible when opportunity meets determination.
Elijah Holland, Shipping & Receiving Coordinator
Elijah Holland first connected with Project LIFT during his sophomore year of high school. The program, in his own words, "has played a major role in my transition to adulthood." Through Project LIFT's Career Rising Program — focused on developing young leaders and strengthening personal and professional skills — Elijah built a foundation for what came next.
After completing the program, Elijah was introduced to Tellus and toured the Belle Glade facility. What he saw left a strong impression. "Even though Tellus was still a relatively new and growing company, I was impressed by what I saw," he said. "The company's culture, opportunities for growth and commitment to its employees motivated me to want to become a part of the organization." He joined — and has continued to grow with the company ever since.
Julissa Atkins, Production Operator II
Julissa Atkins found herself without a clear path forward until her brother introduced her to Project LIFT. Through the program's job training and educational opportunities — and the support of its dedicated staff — she found direction and purpose. Julissa quickly developed a strong interest in carpentry, a skill she honed under the guidance of a dedicated mentor who recognized her potential and took note of her respectful demeanor, positive attitude and eagerness to learn. His trust in her led to a job opportunity at Tellus, and within a couple of weeks, Julissa was proud to be part of the team. In her own words: "A new path is not a source of fear but a blank canvas for your optimism to paint its greatest masterpiece."
Olsmith Petit-Frere, Packaging Operator II
Olsmith Petit-Frere's story is one of remarkable determination. He had just moved back to Belle Glade with limited resources and no clear direction. Despite those challenges, he chose to return to school — and it was there that a teacher introduced him to Project LIFT. He enrolled that same day. "I knew it would be the best fit for me," he said.
Olsmith showed up every day, respected his instructors and threw himself into every opportunity the program offered. Through Project LIFT, he earned his high school diploma, gained foundational skills in carpentry and HVAC and developed the emotional resilience that would carry him forward. When the opportunity to join Tellus came, he was equal parts nervous and eager. "I was a little scared and excited when I heard the news of the job at Tellus," he recalled, "but ultimately, my fears of failing dissipated through good training from the company, support and a respectful welcome from colleagues." Today, Olsmith is fully at home on the Tellus team.
What Employer Engagement Means for Program Participants
Chelsea Belcher, Executive Director of Project LIFT in Palm Beach County, reflects on what this kind of collaborations means for the young people the organization serves:
"Partnerships like Tellus are essential to the success of our participants. By opening their doors and investing in young people, Tellus provides more than employment opportunities — they provide hope, exposure, mentorship and a pathway toward a brighter future. Their willingness to engage with our participants demonstrates a true commitment to strengthening our community and developing the workforce of tomorrow."
Why Community Investment Is Central to Tellus's Business Model
Tellus's products are made in Belle Glade. Its team is rooted in the Glades communities. The strength of the local community directly supports Tellus's ability to manufacture plant fiber-based, compostable tableware at scale. When young people gain the skills and confidence to succeed in the workforce, the entire region benefits — the participants, local employers and the Glades communities as a whole.
For Tellus, investing in the next generation is not separate from the business. It is part of it. As a compostable tableware company committed to both the environment and corporate social responsibility, Tellus views workforce development as a natural extension of its broader mission.
Tellus is proud of what this collaboration has built — and is committed to growing it for years to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Tellus, and where does the company operate?
Tellus is a U.S. manufacturer of plant fiber-based, compostable tableware, headquartered and operating in Belle Glade, Florida. The Palm Beach County company manufactures its products domestically and hires locally, with community investment as a stated core principle.
Q: What is Project LIFT, and who does it serve?
Project LIFT is a nonprofit that serves Palm Beach, Martin, and St. Lucie counties that provides free vocational training and mental health support to at-risk youth and young adults ages 14 to 24. The program offers training in skilled trades including welding, HVAC, carpentry and auto mechanics, and collaborates with local employers to create direct employment pathways.
Q: How does Tellus demonstrate commitment to community investment as a compostable tableware company?
Tellus demonstrates community investment by collaborating with organizations like Project LIFT to offer facility tours, mentorship and direct employment to program participants. Several current Tellus employees — including Elijah Holland, Julissa Atkins and Olsmith Petit-Frere — joined the company directly through the Project LIFT collaboration.
To learn more about Project LIFT, visit projectlift.org. To learn more about Tellus and its work in Belle Glade, visit tellusproducts.com.
