Orlando Showed Up to Race in Support of Hope
The Hope Starts Here 5k in Orlando was a great success! Participants and sponsors enjoyed a beautiful morning by Baldwin Lake while supporting efforts to reconnect people to the workforce, their families, and our communities after involvement with the criminal justice system. Thanks to everyone who came out to race in support of Second Chances […]
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 […]
Ready4Work Orlando Celebrates First Year
To meet the critical needs of the thousands of people who return home to Central Florida every month from jail and prison, Operation New Hope opened a new program location in Orlando in September 2022 as part of our Statewide Reentry Network. After our first year of delivering our nationally-recognized Ready4Work reentry program and providing […]
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 […]
Congressman Rutherford Thanks Community for Support of Second Chances
Congressman Rutherford and Susan King of Feeding Northeast Florida Rev. Beth Tjoflat of St. Mary’s and Crystal Chisholm Members from nonprofit and faith communities gathered for Community Breakfast Operation New Hope’s Reggie Fullwood thanking Congressman Rutherford for being a Second Chance Supporter Congressman John Rutherford returned home to Jacksonville to speak on the importance of […]
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 […]
Expanding Reentry Services to the Space Coast
Operation New Hope is excited to announce that we are opening our newest program location – READY4WORK Space Coast – in August 2023. After our successful expansion to Orlando last year, Operation New Hope received a significant increase in State funding to support our continued efforts to build a Statewide Reentry Network with goal of helping the […]
Kaley Vontz Promoted to Community Engagement Manager
Operation New Hope is pleased to announce that Kaley Vontz has been promoted to Community Engagement Manager. In this new role, Kaley will be responsible for increasing awareness of our mission and cultivating relationships to encourage support, partnerships, and engagement. Kaley is a Jacksonville native who grew up at the beach and graduated from Episcopal […]
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 […]
2nd Annual Hope Starts Here 5k = Great Success!
With over 400 in attendance, the 2nd annual Hope Starts Here 5k presented by Florida Capital Bank was a great success! The race began and ended at Operation New Hope’s main office in the Historic Springfield neighborhood on a beautiful May morning. Runners and walkers enjoyed a route through charming tree-lined streets, past homes dating […]
CFO James Lee Completes Jim Moran Nonprofit Executive Program
Operation New Hope’s Chief Financial Officer James Lee recently completed the Jim Moran Institute For Global Entrepreneurship Nonprofit Executive Program. Focused on growth, leadership expertise, and financial success, the Nonprofit Executive Program examines business fundamentals, strategies, and best practices. The mission of the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship is to cultivate, train and inspire […]
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 […]
Ready4Work Graduates from St. Johns County Reentry Center
The St. Johns County Reentry Center is up and running, and we are thrilled to report that our partnership with the Sheriff’s Office is off to a fantastic start! Our team has been providing reentry support and training to people currently incarcerated at the St. Johns County Jail for several weeks now, and as evidenced […]
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 […]
