In Jacksonville and across Northeast Florida, September 4 is more than just another day on the calendar. Matching the region’s iconic 904 area code, 904 Day is an annual celebration of the people, places, businesses, and organizations that make Northeast Florida home.
Throughout the region, residents celebrate by supporting local businesses, visiting parks and museums, attending community events, and showing their Jacksonville pride. In 2026, 904 Day falls on the Friday of Labor Day weekend, creating an even greater opportunity to stay local, explore the region, and celebrate everything the 904 has to offer.
For Operation New Hope, 904 Day is also an opportunity to celebrate something that has been essential to our work since the beginning: community.
Founded in Jacksonville in 1999, Operation New Hope has spent the past 27 years helping individuals and families build brighter futures.
What began in Jacksonville has expanded across Florida, with Operation New Hope now providing reentry and prevention services in communities throughout the state. Since our founding, we have served more than 20,000 Floridians, helping people overcome barriers associated with involvement in the criminal justice system and work toward stability, self-sufficiency, and long-term success.
From the beginning, we have never done this work alone. Successful reentry requires a community willing to believe in second chances. It requires employers willing to recognize talent and potential. It requires housing providers helping people find a stable place to call home. It requires nonprofits connecting neighbors with essential resources, educational institutions creating opportunities, faith communities offering support, and local businesses investing in the communities they serve.
Every partnership strengthens the network of support available to people rebuilding their lives. And when our neighbors succeed, our entire community becomes stronger. This 904 Day, we are proud to recognize a few of the Northeast Florida organizations that have been invaluable partners in our mission while doing incredible work of their own to make the 904 a better place to live, work, and call home.
Established in 2000 by automotive pioneer Jim Moran, The Jim Moran Foundation works to improve the quality of life for Florida’s youth and families through investments in education, family strengthening, transitional living, and other community needs. With Duval County among its focus areas, the Foundation has been a longtime supporter of Operation New Hope, beginning with a two-year, $350,000 grant for the Ready4Work program in 2018. In 2020, the Foundation provided an additional $30,000 emergency response grant to help ONH clients and staff navigate challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its continued support helps create opportunities for Northeast Florida residents to achieve greater stability and self-sufficiency.
The UPS Foundation leads UPS’s global philanthropy and community engagement efforts, investing in initiatives that advance economic empowerment, humanitarian relief, local community engagement, and environmental sustainability. Through grants, volunteerism, and UPS’s logistics expertise, the Foundation works to strengthen communities and expand access to opportunity. In Jacksonville, The UPS Foundation has been an important supporter of Operation New Hope, including a $25,000 grant in 2022, a $250,000 investment in 2024 and $200,000 in 2025 to expand vocational training opportunities for Ready4Work participants and support leadership development. Its continued partnership helps individuals access career training, transportation assistance, work attire, and other resources that remove barriers to employment and create pathways to long-term economic stability.
Founded in Jacksonville in 1928, Miller Electric Company has grown from a local electrical contractor into one of the nation’s leading electrical and technology infrastructure companies, with nearly 5,000 employees. The company remains headquartered in Jacksonville and emphasizes building meaningful careers while investing in the communities it serves.
A valued Operation New Hope employment partner since 2012, Miller Electric has hired Ready4Work graduates and provided pathways to training, competitive wages, and career advancement. Ready4Work graduate Aaron H. is one example: after starting with Miller Electric at $8.55 per hour, he entered its apprenticeship program, earned his journeyman license, and advanced to $25 per hour with continued opportunities for growth. “Miller is a great company. It makes me feel good that people see my hard work and make me feel appreciated.”
Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) helps Northeast Florida residents gain the education, skills, and credentials needed to achieve their personal and professional goals. Through accessible higher education, workforce development, and career training, FSCJ plays an important role in preparing Jacksonville residents for in-demand careers.
As an educational and workforce development partner of Operation New Hope, FSCJ has provided Ready4Work participants with valuable training and certification opportunities. In 2022, FSCJ and JAXPORT partnered with ONH to offer a 40-hour Jacksonville Port Academy program, providing participants with accelerated soft skills and workforce training. More recently, a group of Ready4Work clients completed FSCJ’s Logistics & Warehouse Academy, gaining practical skills to prepare for careers in Jacksonville’s growing logistics industry. These opportunities help ONH clients build the skills and credentials needed to pursue sustainable careers and greater economic mobility.
Few organizations represent the spirit of the 904 quite like the Jacksonville Jaguars. Since before the team played its first game in 1995, the Jaguars Foundation has invested in Northeast Florida and today works to provide economic and equal opportunity through programs that strengthen neighborhoods and develop local youth. The Jaguars have also been longtime supporters of Operation New Hope and our vision of Jacksonville as a City of Second Chances. From philanthropic support to standing behind our mission during times of community need, the organization has helped Operation New Hope continue providing opportunities to people rebuilding their lives.
Since opening its doors in Jacksonville in 1995, Sulzbacher has worked to help individuals and families experiencing homelessness achieve stability and self-sufficiency with dignity. Its comprehensive approach recognizes that ending homelessness requires more than temporary shelter, connecting people with housing, healthcare, job placement, case management, behavioral health services, and other resources necessary for long-term stability. This work closely intersects with Operation New Hope’s mission, as safe housing, access to healthcare, employment, and supportive services can all be critical to successful reentry. Through community collaboration and a shared commitment to helping Jacksonville residents overcome barriers to self-sufficiency, Sulzbacher and Operation New Hope are part of a larger network working to ensure our neighbors have the resources and opportunities they need to move forward.
These organizations represent only a small part of the incredible network of businesses, nonprofits, faith communities, educational institutions, volunteers, donors, employers, and neighbors working every day to strengthen Northeast Florida.
For Operation New Hope, more than 27 years of work that began right here in Jacksonville has reinforced one important lesson: second chances are stronger when a community stands behind them.
This 904 Day, we encourage you to celebrate local. This could look like learning about an organization doing meaningful work in your neighborhood, supporting a Jacksonville business, exploring somewhere new, or volunteering your time. Find your own way to invest in the community we are proud to call home.
Operation New Hope works with employers, community organizations, housing providers, educational institutions, faith communities, volunteers, and supporters to help individuals overcome barriers and build sustainable futures.
Interested in helping us create more opportunities for second chances in the 904?
