Voices of Hope – Michael J.
I was at the Columbia Work Camp serving my 6th year in prison when I hear about Operation New Hope. I wrote to get more information and was accepted into the Ready4Release program. It was such a relief to know that my housing was arranged prior to my release, so I knew I had somewhere […]
Second Chance Supporter – Council on Aging
In the United States, one in three adults has a criminal record, which limits their access to education, jobs, housing, and other opportunities necessary for a productive life. Even after they have completed their sentences and have been released from prison, these men and women face more than 48,000 documented legal restrictions in addition to widespread […]
Voices of Hope – Kory L.
When I was release from jail, I was staying at St. Francis homeless shelter in St. Augustine. I didn’t know what I was going to do or how I was going to do it. I don’t have an education and my rap sheet isn’t the best, so I knew I needed to do something. But […]
Second Chance Supporter – St. Johns Housing Partnership
In honor of Second Chance Month, Operation New Hope continues to spotlight our outstanding Employment Partners who support our mission by hiring our Ready4Work program graduates. We are so thankful to Second Chance Supporter – St. Johns Housing Partnership for their commitment to improving the community. For the past 25 years, St. Johns Housing Partnership […]
Second Chance Supporter – Bozard Ford Lincoln Dealership
April is Second Chance Month, a time when we celebrate those in our communities who are committed to helping people make the most of their second chances following incarceration. As President Biden recently stated in his Proclamation on Second Chance Month, 2021: “America’s criminal justice system must offer meaningful opportunities for redemption and rehabilitation. After […]
Second Chance Supporter – Ashley HomeStore
For more than 20 years, Operation New Hope has been helping people with a criminal history get the support and training they need to connect with living-wage work and break the cycle of incarceration and poverty. But we are not doing this work alone. Creating opportunities to realize second chances requires support from employers who […]
Voices of Hope – Katie M.
I served 3 1/2 years at Gadsden Correctional for grand theft. The day I got sentenced I cried so hard because my daughter was almost 4 at the time. I was so sad to leave her because her father didn’t even know her allergies and had never even given her a bathbefore. As I was […]
Voices of Hope – Kedra C.
In 2019, I was working as a caregiver for an older woman. When she passed away, I was falsely accused of stealing from her and was eventually charged with a crime I didn’t commit. I lost all faith in the justice system and felt like I’d never be ok again. I gave up hope. When […]
Celebrating InsideOut Dad Graduates at Baker Correctional
Operation New Hope’s Case Manager Ronnie Cage was onsite at Baker Correctional Institution to celebrate the graduates who successfully completed the InsideOut Dad program. Cage stated, “This was the longest InsideOut Dad class ever offered since it was stopped on two occasions due to the COVID restrictions at Baker. The class started on June 25, 2020 […]
Voices of Hope – Taniko H.
I was working as a nurse and addicted to pain meds. I was arrested on August 8, 2018 after taking drugs from the hospital where I worked. I had never been arrested before and found myself in jail for the first time, charged with a felony. I was sentenced to drug rehab surrounded by people […]
Second Chances Really Do Matter!
Being in the business of hope is so rewarding. Sometimes we make a connection so deep with one of our Ready4Work clients that all of us here at Operation New Hope are all moved by it. Richard M. is one of those examples. At last week’s Ready4Work graduation celebration, Richard shared how much the program […]
Second Chance Supporter – Harbinger – Sign of the Future
Operation New Hope would like to extend our sincere thanks to Harbinger Signs for their generous donation for exterior signage at our Ready4Work St. Johns County program location. Harbinger is a custom sign fabricator of commercial sign systems for multi-location, regional and national brands. We are so fortunate to benefit from their creative, professional sign expertise […]
Second Chance Supporter – Marketing Students at UNF
Marketing students from the University of North Florida (UNF) prove they believe Second Chances Matter during a recent class project supporting Operation New Hope. For the semester-long group project – Understanding Market Segments of Social Service Consumers: Operation New Hope, students were asked to develop marketing campaigns for the local nonprofit. The assignment was to […]
Medek Health Delivering Antibody Test Kits to Area Non-Profits
Sixteen local non-profits will be able to use free COVID-19 antibody test kits to help monitor their diverse service area for COVID-19.
Operation New Hope Welcomes Scott Suozzi as New President
Operation New Hope is excited to welcome Scott Suozzi to fill the newly created position of President of the nonprofit, home of the nationally recognized Ready4Work reentry program. He will oversee the day-to-day operations at Operation New Hope, which will allow Kevin Gay, founder and CEO to focus on fund development, policy and advocacy work. […]
Voices of Hope – Sharnika W.
“Since graduating from the Ready4Work program in 2010, my life has changed so much. I have gone on to work as a caterer at a high volume hotel in Miami Beach, and I was a contestant on two Food Network competitions. I’ve recently been building my own catering business – Cake Dreams of Miami. My goal is to grow my catering business into a full brand, and ultimately, I would love to have a kitchen that is run entirely by formerly incarcerated individuals. I want to give back to society the way Operation New Hope gave to me.”