Voices of Hope – Julien K.
“As I was preparing to complete my 10-year prison sentence, I met Ronnie Cage from Operation New Hope at a reentry seminar at Lake Butler RMC. The Ready4Work program sounded like it was just what I needed after release, but my release officer said that I didn’t qualify for the program. So I went back […]
Voices of Hope – Willie T.
“Before Operation New Hope, I was homeless and going to various programs and community resource centers to get shoes, clothing and meals. I really wasn’t in a good place, but I have always tried to lived by the philosophy that life is neither good nor bad, it’s what you make of it. So I was […]
Voices of Hope – Candace C.
“I’m a 38 year-old mother of 8 children who was never a heavy drug user until my husband and I separated after 22 years of marriage. I felt so scared and alone and threw myself into drugs and sex, but it didn’t get me anywhere except arrested for drug possession with intent to sell and […]
Voices of Hope – David P.
“I’m originally from Bradenton, Florida and started using drugs because it was the only escape route I knew. If I couldn’t get it, I’d find a way to take it. The day I went to jail, I lost everything. I hurt the person I cared about the most and that hurt me. It broke my […]
Voices of Hope – Asia V.
“Before Operation New Hope, I was drug addicted, living on the streets, in an abusive relationship, and involved in human trafficking. My environment and the risks I was taking were very dangerous. I heard about the Ready4Work program when I was in jail in 2019, and it sounded like a great starting point from which […]
Voices of Hope – William R.
“Growing up, I had a lot of great opportunities, and I worked hard to become a master auto technician. Unfortunately, I was more wild than I was smart. I had the mentality that I wasn’t going to get caught. But because of my own stupidity and selfishness, I ended up serving a 27 month prison […]
Voices of Hope – Fletcher
Read More Voices of Hope “Before Operation New Hope, I had a great job. I was bringing home over $2,000 per week, but I was always broke because of my $1,500 a week drug habit. I had a home, but I spent more time sleeping in my car. I was eventually arrested and spent a […]
Voices of Hope – Janice W.
“I had a great career working as a train engineer for Conrail before a horseback riding accident left me disabled in 1998. My injury led me down a path to addiction, and a series of bad choices led to my arrest in 2015, followed by an 8 1/2 year prison sentence. I didn’t know where […]
Voices of Hope – Teresa G.
“I was born to addicts and came from a very broken, abusive home. I didn’t have hope. By the time I was 25, I had 4 kids. I had periods of sobriety, but struggled with my own addiction. My choices landed me in prison by the age of 28, and I was faced with a […]
Voices of Hope – Jarvis G.
“I had no idea how much the criminal justice system would impact my life. After serving 2 years in prison, the only job I could get was washing dishes. I was trying to provide for my wife and kids but having a hard time making ends meet. It was a really low point in my […]
Voices of Hope – Atticus A.
“I was 18 years old when I was sentenced to 20 years in prison. When I first went away, I was still going down the wrong path, but at some point I realized that I didn’t want to leave out of prison the same way I came in. I used to be into drugs and […]
Voices of Hope – Matthew J.
“I’m from a good family with parents who love me and provided well for me. I was a good kid playing high school football and planning to play in college like my brothers. But, I was too concerned with trying to make everyone happy and didn’t know how to say no, so I got involved […]
Voices of Hope – Indeah E.
“I’m from Jacksonville, grew up on the Eastside, and had a wonderful life. I was raised right, but went down the wrong path. I was introduced to alcohol at 8 and started using drugs at 11. After being gang raped at 12 years old, I ran away from home, got sex trafficked, and was doing […]
Voices of Hope – Toby D.
“I spent time at Baker and Columbia Correctional Facilities for possession of firearms. I heard about Operation New Hope while incarcerated, but thought I wouldn’t be able to get into the program because of my charges. But the Ready4Release case managers worked with me to get me signed up. “Even though I had a job […]
Voices of Hope – Samantha M.
“I spent years struggling with addiction and instability and dragged my son through all the muck and mud of my life. My last time being arrested was in October 2021, and I was released on June 29, 2022. I was given a second chance by Angels of Mercy when they offered me housing in their […]
Voices of Hope – Fred H.
“Before Operation New Hope, I was lost. I was dealing with a lot of issues and chemical dependence. As I was completing a 15 year prison sentence, I met Ronnie Cage from the Ready4Release team, and I’m so glad I did. Ronnie got me signed up for the program, and I met with him 3-4 […]
