Voices of Hope – Asia V.

“Before Operation New Hope, I was drug addicted, living on the streets, in an abusive relationship, and involved in human trafficking. My environment and the risks I was taking were very dangerous. I heard about the Ready4Work program when I was in jail in 2019, and it sounded like a great starting point from which to rebuild my life. After going through the program the first time, I unfortunately relapsed. I was pregnant and checked myself into Gateway’s recovery program. After that, I was recommitted to success and sobriety, so I came through the Ready4Work program a second time. Thank goodness I did, because my life is completely different now.

“This place is so amazing! It’s hope giving – it’s life giving – and so needed in society. The program has helped so many people and helped me so much. The structure provided by Operation New Hope put things in perspective and taught me things about myself I never knew before. Primarily, I learned that I am capable of showing up. I gained so many useful skills that I’ve used to get back into the workforce. The mental health counseling is also so great! My counselor Krista has been a tremendous support, and was instrumental in helping me get my license back.

“I’m in such a great place now! I am 3 years sober, engaged, bought a house, and recently bought a 2nd car. I never dreamed of being a family with 2 cars! I have been working at Rethreaded since May 2021 – it’s the longest job I’ve ever had. I want to get experience in more roles, working to gain all the skills. I’ve gone back to school at FSCJ, and I think my future is really bright. My long-term goal is to serve others and be a source of hope. It’s something I have now, thanks to Operation New Hope!”