Operation Ready 4 Work Effective Rehabilitation Assistance

Secretary Carson visits Operation New Hope in Jacksonville, Florida.

Secretary Carson meets with Jacksonville community and faith leaders.

In a visit to Jacksonville on March 9, HUD Secretary Ben Carson praised Jacksonville-based Operation New Hope's Ready4Work reentry program, which fights poverty, crime and improves conditions in neighborhoods across Jacksonville. Through its comprehensive services that rehabilitate those formerly incarcerated, Operation New Hope's reentry program focuses on job skill training, job placement and wrap-around case management services. Upon acceptance, participants attend a comprehensive 4-6-week career development training course, featuring employment and life-skills. Secretary Carson's visit also included the affiliated Jacksonville Port Academy, which has partnered with the Jacksonville Port Authority (JaxPort) - a regional economic engine creating abundant new job opportunities in North Florida.

Operation New Hope's Jacksonville Port Academy is helping fill vacant port-related jobs, most of which require skills that local job applicants possess - - the missing link is access to training resources to acquire the varied essential skills in target positions for ex-offenders and unemployed residents of the local community. Many of these positions have an average annual salary of $51,600, above the $38,629 Jacksonville area average income.

"I looked at a lot of programs around the country and I don't think there is any better than this" said Carson. Participants are partnered with a case manager to provide guidance and support, as well as referrals for community assistance, life-coaching and follow-up drug screening, effectively leading clients towards a productive life.

Prior to touring Operation New Hope's (http://www.operationnewhope.org/) center, Secretary Carson met with Jacksonville faith leaders to get their sense of critical community needs to help connect residents to better, higher paying jobs and critical services as well as to engage local partners to residents achieve the dreams they have for themselves and their children.

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