Second Chance Supporter – Ashley HomeStore
For more than 20 years, Operation New Hope has been helping people with a criminal history get the support and training they need to connect with living-wage work and break the cycle of incarceration and poverty. But we are not doing this work alone. Creating opportunities to realize second chances requires support from employers who […]
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 […]
Petway Family Exemplifies the Spirit of Giving
During this season of Thanksgiving, Operation New Hope extends our most sincere thanks and gratitude to the Petway Family for their continued support and commitment to providing hope to individuals returning to our community. Their most recent gift of $100,000 will help us support people as they overcome the many barriers following incarceration – like […]
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.
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.
Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Fund Supports Operation New Hope’s Response to COVID-19
Operation New Hope is honored by the tremendous community support being offered to us during these difficult times. Delores Barr Weaver, a long time supporter and advocate of our work, recently made another generous grant to support our COVID-19 response efforts. Because of this $25,000 grant, Operation New Hope can continue our mission to help […]
Voices of Hope – Aaron F.
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 […]
Voices of Hope – Richard S.
Richard Smith grew up in St. Augustine, Florida where he was raised by his grandmother. “My mom gave us up and that lack of love led me to the streets. I had a good job, but I just got greedy. Money becomes a drug too, and I got lost in it all. There is no […]
Voices of Hope – Jessica P.
I was living on the streets, using heroin, and in and out of jail. I used drugs to numb the pain in my life. However, drugs erased more than just the pain – it took away everything including gratitude and joy. I was empty. The last time I was arrested, I thought, ‘That’s it. I’m […]
Voices of Hope – Michael C.
I grew up on the streets and I had been using heroin since I was 16. I got high to deal with the pain, but every time I came back down, the pain would still be there. I knew I needed to change. When I got arrested the last time, the State Attorney told me […]
Voices of Hope – Danielle P.
After three years of unemployment, with two children to support and the threat of returning to jail looming because of her inability to repay restitution totaling $10,000, Danielle Pryor felt hopeless. The memory of that difficult period brought tears to her eyes. “I had done my time, learned my lesson, and been forgiven by God, […]
Voices of Hope – Athena S.
In a classroom packed with current Ready4Work clients, Athena Swygert confessed to spending the years between 17 and 39 addicted to meth. “I took for granted everything I had. I didn’t care because I was an addict. I stole. I cheated – and they took my children.” She paused and took a deep breath before […]
Voices of Hope – Russell B.
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 […]
Operation New Hope’s Risk Assessment Project
In an effort to better serve our clients and community, Operation New Hope has initiated a Risk Assessment Project designed to assess individual’s risk of recidivism and develop rehabilitation plans specifically tailored to address relevant risk factors. Spearheading the initiative are our Clinical Services Director Gretchen Hamm and our Strategic Expansion Director Laureen Husband. We […]
Voices of Hope – Ansley G.
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 […]
Voices of Hope – Shane H.
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 […]