“Drugs and doing stuff to get drugs sent me to prison. I started using when I was 13 and I went to prison 8 times. Every time I got out, it was the same thing. I’d spend 2 years in and then spend 6 months out. And when I got sentenced to 10 years the last time, I said ‘Lord, …
Richard Smith shares how Operation New Hope’s Ready4Work reentry program helped set him on the path to success back in 2008.
“I have responsibilities. I am helping others. I am setting new goals. It’s been such a long journey, and I never knew I’d make it this far, but now I know I’m gonna get so much father.”
“Planting potatoes on the Farm Squad was hard. Crawling on my hands and knees in the field in the bitter cold without being paid really informed my outlook on work. Once I reached a certain level of maturity, I decided it was time to change my life.” “After 10 years in prison, I returned to my hometown of Jacksonville and …
“A heroin and meth addict since I was 12 years old, I was in and out of rehab and jail for years. I felt defeated and had accepted that I was going to be a lifelong addict. It wasn’t until I was arrested for a probation violation and facing 18 months of prison time that it hit me – I …
Despite the current crisis facing our world, nothing can dim the light shining in Shane Hutto’s smiling face. Full of hope, Shane recently began pursuing a lifelong goal and enrolled in an IT program to earn his A+ certification. He said it’s “great to have motivation again!” Shane spent much of his 20’s in what he described as a “dark …
Athena shares her story of success!
Tracey Fisher was in her early 40’s and had a successful career but got caught up in drugs and ended up behind bars. “Even when I tried to turn my life around, my past just kept pulling me back down. Jail took something from me and left me with hopelessness, insecurity and shame.” “But Operation New Hope raked the ground …
After serving time for a felony fraud conviction, Erica Jackson worried that she would never find work in an industry other than fast food service. She began to believe that no one would trust her again. However, those concerns diminished after entering the Ready4Work program. “The program taught me a lot – from being on time to the importance of …
Ready4Work Graduate shares how Operation New Hope changed her life, helped her find her path, and gave her the faith needed to succeed. “I’ve gotten so much courage to go out there – like a lion! – just to go out there and do it, with the skills that I’ve learned.” – Crystal Chisholm