Voices of Hope – Jeremy S.
After years of struggling with drug addiction and unemployment, I was finally ready to make a change in my life. While serving time at Baker Correctional Institution, I heard about Operation New Hope’s Ready4Work program, so I decided to enroll at their St. Augustine location when I got out. The Ready4Work program helped me so […]
Voices of Hope – Caleb G.
My mom and dad partied a lot when I was growing up, and I didn’t know any different. I just thought that’s how you lived. As a teenager, I started taking pills that led to harder and harder stuff, and I ended up a junkie. I was homeless and in and out of jail. I […]
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 – 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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
Voices of Hope – William Carroll
I was hopeless, homeless, and a drug addict. I sold drugs, and I was my best client. I was so allergic to using that every time I did, I would end up in handcuffs. I was a 6 time convicted felon in and out of jail and prison. I could lie and make it sound […]
Message of Thanks from Ready4Work Graduate
At Operation New Hope, we believe that we are all better than our worst mistake, worst day, or worst decision. We believe in people’s ability to transform their lives through commitment and hard work. We see it every day, in clients just like Red, as we support their reentry and growth.
Voices of Hope – Rachel H.
I struggled with drug addiction for 8 years wanting to live a sober life. I felt like I was stuck on a merry-go-round, thinking I wasn’t worthy. I tried everything from outpatient to medicated assisted treatment, but nothing worked, until I committed myself to 100 days of residential rehab at Gateway. After successfully completing the […]
Voices of Hope – Jacqueline B.
I came out of a good family, but I took my own road. After spending 12 years in Federal prison, I got out and stayed clean and sober for 13 and half years. But I eventually went back to the same people, the same places, and the same things, and my life went back to […]
Voices of Hope – Leigh Anne P.
I had 3 months left on my parole when I was arrested for a minor violation. I was sent back to prison to serve out the remainder of my parole term, and I was released in the middle of a pandemic with only a bus ticket. I went back to the same pre-prison lifestyle – […]
Voices of Hope – Keith C.
By the time I realized I was too far gone, I already was. I spent 10 years in prison due to my drug addiction and the choices I made. But prison was really a rescue mission from God. During my first 3 years, I spent 26 months in solitary confinement until finally surrendered and turned […]
Second Chance Supporter – Maple Street Biscuit Company
Maple Street Biscuit Company is truly living up to their mission to “Help People, Serve Others, Be a Part of the Community.” Operation New Hope is thankful for their partnership and we look forward to working together to help people make the most of their second chances.