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 being a disaster. I knew I had to make a change, so I moved from Tallahassee to Jacksonville to find recovery.

One of the women I met at my sober living house recommended Operation New Hope to me in March, but because of the pandemic, I wasn’t able to start the program until June. But the Ready4Work-Light program has been great. I was able to do the program at my own pace, and even though I’m not really good at computers, I received a lot of help. Operation New Hope helped me pay the rent and provided bus passes, and I’ve been able to earn stipends for graduation and staying on the job. My case manager has continued to call every week and has helped me figure out how to pay my fines and fees. My counselor and job coach have been a big help too. The support provided has been awesome.

My main goal now is to continue getting my life back in order. I’m working two jobs to save money to get my license back and get my own place. Once I achieve that, I want to start looking for a career with good benefits.

I’ve been sober for 14 months now. I’ve got a great family who keeps in touch and we have a strong relationship now. My kids have great jobs and are really proud of me. Life is gonna be life and all my days aren’t peaches and cream. But I pray and ask God to lead, and then I leave it to him and it works. There’s a new way of life if you choose to live it. I’m so thankful to Operation New Hope and tell everyone about it. What more could you ask for?