Women’s Giving Alliance Visits Operation New Hope to Support Jacksonville Reentry
Jacksonville’s Women’s Giving Alliance (WGA) kicked off the new year with a meaningful visit to Operation New Hope’s Jacksonville program location for a Second Chance Showcase and an interactive volunteer experience. This event provided WGA members with the opportunity to engage with our mission, connect with clients, and witness firsthand the transformative power of second […]
Space Coast Ready4Work Clients Complete Manufacturing Essentials Certification
Through a partnership with Eastern Florida State College, our Ready4Work Space Coast clients have the unique opportunity to earn a Manufacturing Essentials certification in the Mechatronics Apprenticeship Lab. This program is designed to equip them with the foundational skills required in the manufacturing industry, making them more competitive in the job market. Hands-On Learning with Cutting-Edge Technology […]
Voices of Hope – Chimekie J.
“After leaving a women’s residential facility, I went to Angel’s of Mercy transitional home in Sanford, Florida. A lot of the women living there have gone through the Ready4Work program at Operation New Hope and recommended I do the same. At first, I was worried it was going to be just like every other program, […]
Second Chance Supporters Celebrating 25 Years
In celebration of Second Chance Month, Operation New Hope hosted an event to thank our great employment and community partners who have supported our mission and helped us achieve success over the past 25 years. The evening began with happy hour drinks and hors d’oeuvres followed by the presentation of Second Chance Supporter Awards to […]
Biden Declares April 2024 as Second Chance Month
Jacksonville, Florida – Operation New Hope, a statewide nonprofit that provides support and training designed to reduce recidivism, joins individuals, communities, and agencies across the country to recognize the importance of reentry during Second Chance Month. In a Proclamation on Second Chance Month issued on March 29, 2024, President Biden stated “America was founded on […]
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 […]
Hope.Starts.Here. An Employee Spotlight Series
At Operation New Hope, our team is extremely passionate about the work we do every day to help our clients and to strengthen our community. Hope truly powers us to show up and do the work and fuels us to serve the people hoping to transform their lives through employment. To better understand this, we […]
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 – 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 – 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 […]
Hope.Starts.Here.
Operation New Hope Case Manager Bryan Smith celebrates National Nonprofit Day with a beautiful reminder of why and how we serve our community. Hope.Starts.Here.
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 […]
Ready4Work Continues to Match Clients with Living Wage Jobs
Operation New Hope’s Employment Services Team remains hard at work and is crushing goals! Since the beginning of the year, we have placed 157 clients in living wage jobs despite the uncertain and shifting economy. Even in the midst of a pandemic, we not only exceeded our prior years’ achievements, but we have been helping […]
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 […]