Education, Employment and Second Chances Matter!
Susan Kowalski, Operation New Hope’s Deputy Director of our READY4WORK Space Coast program location, attended the Florida Prison Education Project (FPEP) Open House last week at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Founded in 2017, FPEP is an initiative of the University of Central Florida that seeks to offer a high-quality undergraduate education to people […]
Ready4Release Team Making an Impact
Our Ready4Release team is making an impact in our communities and being recognized for their efforts! We are so proud to highlight two of their recent recognitions: Ronnie Cage our Ready4Release Program Manager was awarded Volunteer of the Month July 2023 by the Lawtey Correctional Institution. Ronnie has been facilitating the InsideOut Dads program to […]
Second Chance Support – Bombas
Operation New Hope is so thankful to Bombas for their generous donation to help ensure our clients have clean socks to wear this winter. Many of our clients return home with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. So having new, clean clothing essentials is so important to being successful in finding a job […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Importance of Second Chances: On Stage at The 5 & Dime
The set of Clyde’s Tanaine Jenkins and Amanda Mahan at The 5 & Dime Theater ONH at The 5 & Dime Ever wonder how hard it is to get and keep a job after prison? Well wonder no more because the talented cast of Clyde’s at The 5 & Dime Theater does a great job showing […]
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 […]
Breaking Barriers: Celebrating the Graduation of our First Women’s Class in St. Johns County
We are thrilled to announce the graduation of our first class of women from the Ready4Work reentry program at St. Augustine Jail. Over the past several months, we have been delivering reentry services behind the walls of the St. Johns County facility to prepare people for successful transition prior to release. Their journey hasn’t […]
Building Confidence, One Knot at a Time: A Tie-Tying Event for Our Clients
Transitioning from incarceration back into society can be a daunting journey for many individuals. The challenges of finding employment and rebuilding one’s life can feel overwhelming, especially with all the barriers people face. For individuals with a criminal background, the stigma associated with their past can make it even more challenging to secure employment. However, with […]
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 – 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 […]
Second Chance Supporter – Sontag Foundation
In honor of its 20th anniversary, the Sontag Foundation hosted a celebration last night to highlight the various grant programs that they have supported over the years with over $10 million invested in our community. Operation New Hope was honored to be among the grant recipients. Our team extends our most sincere thanks to the […]
Second Chance Supporters – Honey Pot Bike Collective
Operation New Hope extends our sincere thanks to our newest Second Chance Supporters at the Honey Pot Bike Collective. Garfield Cooper (pictured at ZenCog Bicycle Company in Riverside) and the Honey Pot Bike Collective just donated 7 bikes to our Ready4Work clients. At Operation New Hope, we provide support and training to people who have been […]
National Association of Reentry Professionals Honors ONH
During our first Ready4Work graduation ceremony of 2023, the National Association of Reentry Professionals presented the Johnny & Julia Pace Award to our team, highlighting our work in the field of reentry. Every year, the National Associate of Reentry Professionals recognizes the work of four organizations across the country for providing excellent services bridging returning […]
Ready4Work Clients Giving Thanks
During this season of thanksgiving, our Ready4Work clients focused on the benefits of gratitude during this week’s art therapy session. In the group session, participants looked at research that shows how giving thanks increases happiness and reduces depression. The group also discussed how grateful people are more likely to behave in a prosocial manner, even […]
