ORLANDO, Fla. — The city of Orlando is days away from formalizing a partnership with Operation New Hope as part of an effort to support people before and after incarceration.

What You Need To Know

  • On Monday, the city of Orlando approved $127,000 in a funding agreement with Operation New Hope to support the city’s community violence intervention initiative

  • Operation New Hope officials say their goal is to interrupt community violence and reach people before they’re entangled in the criminal justice system

  • They said money from the city will help fund two community-based job coaches who will go to different neighborhoods, targeting those living in communities where there is significant gun violence

On Monday, the city of Orlando approved $127,000 in a funding agreement with Operation New Hope to support the city’s community violence intervention initiative. 

The nonprofit has been continuously working to support people after incarceration.

Operation New Hope officials say the organization’s goal is to interrupt community violence and reach people before they’re entangled in the criminal justice system. Thanks to money from the city of Orlando, they say there are plans in place to hire two full-time, community-based job coaches. 

On Monday, Duane Carter showed up at Operation New Hope’s Orlando office to work with his job coach and fill out job applications.

“I’ve tried to do them on my phone, but obviously they’re not going through, so I came here,” he said.

Carter is a graduate of Operation New Hope’s three-week Ready4Work program. 

Once he graduated, he took a one-day forklift training and earned his certification.

“I’m just looking for help, to get substantial employment,” he said.

Several clients showed up on Monday at Operation New Hope’s Orlando location to learn about career development in the classroom.

“We’ll train them, get them ready for different careers, we’ll pay for vocational training,” said Kiara Rucker, Operation New Hope’s Orlando business and community engagement manager.

Rucker said $127,000 in annual funding from the city of Orlando will cover wrap-around social services in one roof.  

“We’ll have two community-based job coaches that will go out and meet the potential clients, right where they’re at,” she said.

She said the job coaches will go to different Orlando neighborhoods — targeting those living in communities where there is significant gun violence.

“Instead of putting funding to the Department of Corrections and housing them, we can grab them and use our funding to rehabilitate them,” she said.

The nonprofit will also be providing job readiness coaching, resume-building and vocational certification.

“It’s just letting them know that we’re here for them,” said Rucker.

The partnership is set to start on Oct. 1.

Operation New Hope currently gets two-thirds of its funding from the state of Florida.

In addition, their second annual 5k event in Orlando will be held 8-10 a.m. Saturday at Baldwin Park. 

Funds raised for the 5k will help provide career readiness training, mental health services, and job placement to help people become self-sufficient after their involvement with the criminal justice system.