Memphis bakery offers jobs, bread and a path out of homelessness

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Aging Untold) — Lucy J’s Bakery, located inside Crosstown Concourse, offers more than baked goods. Head baker Josh Burgess has built the business into a source of employment and job training for people transitioning out of homelessness.

Burgess named the bakery after his children. He said the work is about meeting people where they are.

“Just depends on what they need, and we try to find a slot for them to fill,” Burgess said.

A family mission

Burgess’ wife, Tracy Burgess, runs Dorothy Day House, a Memphis nonprofit that supports families experiencing homelessness.

“There is a huge need here in the city, and it really is an invisible problem,” Tracy Burgess said.

She said the nonprofit identified gaps in available shelter options.

“There was not a space that would accept a married couple, and there was not a space that would accept preteen and teenage boys,” she said.

The role of steady work

Sam Cradduck, a gerontologist and Aging Untold expert, said employment plays a direct role in helping people move forward.

“The job itself gives them the confidence that they can move forward. It gives them a leg up,” Cradduck said.

Lucy J’s pays its workers a living wage.

With continued demand for its baked goods, Josh and Tracy Burgess said they hope to expand the bakery and bring on more employees.

“It’s a big mission that we’re trying to tackle and we could use everybody’s help. Come in, buy something, donate if they’re available, volunteer if they’re available and just become part of the community,” Josh Burgess said.

Cradduck said the model works because it connects a real need with a real opportunity.

“I really like that couple’s mission. She’s seeing firsthand the crisis that’s there. And she’s found a way to put the two of them together. He needs employees. These people need a job. There’s purpose and it’s designed for them right there,” Cradduck said.