For three years, a
Jacksonville developer has trained and hired ex-offenders, the
homeless and others to renovate homes in the Springfield area.
Meanwhile, a Jacksonville pastor has offered counseling, guidance
and friendship to these ex-offenders as they struggled to start anew
and remain drug-free and crime-free.
President Bush has selected this partnership to serve as a model
for the nation.
Yesterday, the director of the U.S. Department of Labor's Center
for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives came to Jacksonville to
announce the city will be the starting point for a national
initiative called "Ready 4 Work." The goal is to link businesses,
clergy and corrections officials to help ex-offenders get
rehabilitated and employed.
No funding has yet been allocated for the program.
But the designation means national exposure for two local
endeavors that were chosen by the White House because they share the
merits of Bush's goal to increase faith-based initiatives in
America.
| To contact the
non-profit organization Operation New Hope Community
Development Corp. call .
|
Officials
said the two programs were selected because they best exemplify the
desired connection among faith leaders, job providers and people in
need.
And Jacksonville in general has excelled at developing
faith-based initiatives, officials said.
"We're just trying to bring the partners together first," said
Brent Orrell, who plans many trips to the First Coast in the near
future. "We want to learn our lessons here in Jacksonville."
Officials plan to build on the success of Operation New Hope
Community Development Corp. on North Main Street. The non-profit
organization renovates neighbor- hoods and provides jobs to
ex-offenders. Formed three years ago, the organization has restored
and sold 17 houses and created about 40 jobs.
Kevin Gay, director of Operation New Hope, said his goal was to
help rebuild low-income communities and to train and employ
ex-offenders and others in need of developing marketable skills.
Gay said the Rev. Garland Scott and members of City Center
Ministries came along and began serving as mentors to Gay's
employees.
"He restores the houses," said Scott, pointing to Gay. "I restore
the lives."
Orrell said he plans to take Gay and Scott to Washington,
Detroit, Chicago and other cities to share their ideas with other
faith and business leaders.
Jacksonville was a natural starting point because of its strong
connections among the faith community, business and law enforcement,
Orrell said.
"Jacksonville is really a special place," he said. "Jacksonville
seems to be almost unique in the amount of energy and the level of
commitment."
The Rev. David Williams, head chaplain at the Duval County jail,
said he has referred many inmates to Operation New Hope and has seen
none return to prison. He wasn't surprised the program was chosen as
a national model.
"I think Jacksonville has proven that we are the city that is
caring and motivated to do what is right," Williams said.
Orrell said about 600,000 offenders are released from prison each
year. "About 90 percent will return to prison if something isn't
done," he said.
The Rev. Kenneth Adkins, a public relations agent who works with
churches, said supporting initiatives like Operation New Hope is
especially important to him because he is an ex-convict. Adkins
organized the news conference yesterday to announce the partnership.
Adkins said despite having two master's degrees, his past has
cost him some clients, such as political candidates.
"This program gives people like myself a second chance," he said.
Staff writer Mary Maraghy can be reached at
or via e-mail at mmaraghy.
