“Before Operation New Hope, I was hopeless. I started drinking and drugging when I was 12, and by 17, I had done everything I swore I would never do. I entered a vicious cycle of incarceration. By the time I was 19, I got put in the Matrix and thought as long as I didn’t use drugs, I would be ok, but that proved to be not true. Even when I was sober for a time, I was still in a hopeless state of mind.
When I went to prison for the second time in 2014, I lost my grandma and mother while I was there. My mom had been my greatest support but also my greatest enabler. I felt so lost. When I was released in 2019, I was dropped off at the Greyhound bus station and had nowhere to go, so I became homeless living behind the City Rescue Mission. I returned to a life of drug use, and then my dad passed away. I ended up returning to prison for the last time in 2020. At that point, I was resentful, wondering how could I be at this place again. That’s when God spoke to me and told me that I’m responsible for my actions. That was the turning point. I had always expected others, God included, to provide for my needs. It was then that I realized I am responsible for my own self. I knew I had to make a change.
That’s when I heard about Operation New Hope. As I was preparing for release for the last time, my classification officer recommended the Ready4Release program. The team helped me develop a plan and arranged transitional housing. When I got out, I immediately entered the Ready4Work program, and everything went straight up from there. It’s been amazing. I received so much – hope, support, job and resume skills, employment, reconciliation of relationships – I got my life back!
Operation New Hope has enabled me to ultimately change my life in it’s entirety. I no longer feel hopeless. I know that everything will be ok. I now can be someone I never thought I’d be. I have a genuine smile on my face today. I’ve learned to like myself which is a monumental change. We all make an impact – either positive or negative. I spent my life taking, and today I’m able to give. I can now be there for others and be an example of hope. I want to continue to have a positive impact in the lives of others.
My goal now is to be a father to my 13 year old son who I’ve never been there for. I plan to be a man of integrity that he can learn from and look up to one day. I’m not proud of all my choices, but I am thankful for the experiences that made me who I am today.”
We provide support, life and job skills training for people affected by the criminal justice system and place them in employment that offers a sustainable quality of life.
Home Office
1830 North Main Street
Jacksonville, Florida 32206
Central Florida Program Location
617 N. Magnolia Avenue, 2nd Floor
Orlando, Florida 32801
St. Johns County Program Location
525 West King Street
St. Augustine, Florida 32084
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