Mark Lewis and Marques Curry walked into John Anderson’s office, bringing little more than troubled pasts and lots of hope. Then a light came on. Anderson, the owner of Ellendale Electric Company, gave both men work.
Click here to read more from The Commercial Appeal.
HopeWorks, with a reputation for turning people’s lives around, now has the tracking data to prove it.
Less than 10 percent of its graduates from January 2006 to April 2010 who had criminal backgrounds ended up back behind bars. The faith-based program teaches job skills and provides career counseling to the chronically unemployed, including people with felony records.
HopeWorks recently put the names of 211 graduates into a database after looking through four years worth of documents. Of that number, 112 had prior criminal backgrounds, but only 11 committed additional crimes after graduating.
Ron Wade, who became executive director of HopeWorks nearly two years ago, made it a goal to track outcomes.
“I came from a business background where you’ve got quotas and measurements and all that kind of stuff,” Wade said. “The nonprofit business is the same way. If I was going to ask you to invest in HopeWorks, you would want to know what we are doing.”
Click here to read more from the Memphis Daily News.
Thanks to the talents of local video expert Russ Turman, we have some amazing videos to share with you from our recent HopeWorks Breakfast. Click here for our video case study featuring Ellendale Electric Company and here for testimonies from HopeWorks graduates in their own words.
If you didn’t have the opportunity to attend our second annual HopeWorks breakfast, take a few minutes to watch this video and see what you missed! If you were able to join us, watch below for some of the highlights of our great time together!
A big “Thank You” for your support of the 2nd Annual HopeWorks Breakfast. The event raised approximately $44,000, which we are very grateful for! This doubles the amount of funds raised from the inaugural breakfast last year and gives encouragement and momentum for our students, staff and supporters. We’re hopeful that the exposure in various media outlets throughout the city will raise the awareness of the poor and needy who long for hope.
Join us on Saturday, February 20, for a gourmet breakfast and a presentation from Sean Tuohy of The Blind Side!
The second annual HopeWorks breakfast will be held at the Woodland Hills Event Center from 8:30am to 10:30am.
Millions of Americans have read or watched the incredible story of Michael Oher, a homeless teenager turned football star, who achieved greatness largely through the help of Sean Tuohy and his family. Not only did the Tuohys support Michael’s education through high school and college, they brought him into their home and eventually adopted Michael as their son. Now a first-round draft pick with the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, Michael Oher is a successful professional athlete and worlds away from the inner city streets of Memphis.
What the Tuohy family witnessed in their home is what HopeWorks strives to do every day in the lives of men and women in the city of Memphis. This inspirational and uplifting story is echoed through the transformed lives of HopeWorks’ graduates. Just as the Tuohy family showed compassion to Michael Oher by bringing him into their home, HopeWorks demonstrates compassion daily by teaching students and connecting them with supportive faith encouragers. In the same way the Tuohys gave Michael a high school and college education, HopeWorks provides students the opportunity for a holistic, 13-week Personal Career Development program, free of charge. And as Michael took advantage of his opportunities, HopeWorks’ students build on the foundation they get at HopeWorks to realize their potential in life.
The HopeWorks formula of showing compassion and giving opportunity is one that God has blessed for more than 20 years. We truly believe that the cycle of crime, addiction and irresponsibility can be broken and that all who seek a new life can become hard-working, faith-professing individuals. Our graduates may not be professional athletes like Michael Oher, but they have reached incredible heights – from a 30-year crack cocaine addict and prostitute turned college student to a discouraged and angry rape victim turned national AIDS awareness advocate.
High school dropouts get an education. Convicted felons receive employment skills for a new start. Fathers and mothers learn how to be responsible, caring parents for their children. All are given spiritual guidance and counseling by a staff who points them to a God who will sustain them wherever life takes them. It’s this holistic approach implemented at HopeWorks that we believe can break the cycle of crime, violence and addictions that trap so many in our city. And we believe this is an approach worth supporting.
It costs approximately $3,000 for a student to go through HopeWorks’ 13-week Personal Career Development program. This year we are encouraging church classes or small groups to sponsor a HopeWorks student. Your group can both support a student financially and be the student’s faith encourager. Below are the increments that we suggest your group consider when sponsoring a student:
One week – $250
Two weeks – $500
Three weeks – $750
One month – $1,000
Complete PCD Class – $3,000
If you are interested in group sponsorship, please contact Ron Wade at rwade@whyhopeworks.org or by calling (901) 272-3700 Ext. 107.
TOM WILEMON | The Daily News
Sometimes people who have made the wrong choices in life become so burdened by guilt they become resigned to being bad. Antonio Owens helps them confront that guilt so they can live a good life.
As a facilitator for HopeWorks, he goes into jails to recruit students for a faith-based program that teaches job skills and provides career counseling to convicted felons and others. The nonprofit organization is marking its 20th anniversary of community service in Memphis this year, but the recession is making its mission of placing people in internships and jobs harder to accomplish.
Click here to read the rest of the article from the Memphis Daily News.
CHRIS SHEFFIELD | Memphis Business Journal
Education: Bachelor of business administration at University of Memphis. Master of Arts in Religion at Harding University Graduate School of Religion
Residence: Memphis
Business philosophy: Develop relationships, build trust, strive for high integrity
Best way to keep competitive edge: Work hard and strive for continuous improvement in all facets of your life. Being a diligent student of your industry requires that you enjoy your work and feel that your work is truly meaningful.
Guiding principle: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Click here to read the rest of Ron’s profile in the Memphis Business Journal.
