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Cleveland sat in his parole officer’s office, overwhelmed with regret. His parole officer saw potential he couldn’t see in himself. She told him about The HOPE Program and encouraged him to give it a chance.
At HOPE, Cleveland found more than job training. He found mental health counseling. He had conversations he’d never had before. He started thinking about himself in a completely different way—not as someone defined by his mistakes, but as someone with a future worth building.
“The HOPE Program gave me the [ability] to believe in myself. All the stuff that I learned from HOPE, like ‘dress for success’, is how I ended up at NBC… I went from making $14 an hour to ending my career at NBC making well over six figures.”
Henry came to The HOPE Program straight from central booking in Brooklyn. He had no clear path forward. Just a chance encounter with someone who told him about HOPE.
“I took a chance, I came here and they helped me—educating me more,” Henry shares. “I got my industry certifications, and now I’m getting my security guard license. A beautiful thing, because I had nothing before I came here and they helped me.”
Today, Henry is working as a cook and pursuing his security guard training at HOPE to earn more money and build his future. But what matters most to Henry isn’t just the job or the certifications.
“HOPE has helped me become more dedicated to the things that I need to do to help myself.”
When Luis came to The HOPE Program, he didn’t know how to work with computers. He needed support writing his resume. And he knew he wanted more for his life.
“They taught me how to do my resume, how to work with computers, which I didn’t really know anything about so I learned a lot,” Luis shares. “They helped me get a job, which I start tomorrow in building maintenance.”
Through HOPE’s training, Luis earned industry-recognized certifications—OSHA 40, OSHA 30, flagger, scaffolding, HAZWOPER. He’s now equipped with the skills and credentials employers are looking for.
Justin came to The HOPE Program from a shelter, riding a bike to get where he needed to go. Today, he owns two cars and his own house.
“It opened up a lot of doors, job opportunities, gave me confidence to go into any field I want to go into,” Justin shares. “I started off with just a bike. I worked hard, and they stayed on my back. Now I have my own house.”
But what Justin values most isn’t just the material progress—it’s how HOPE believed in him. “They pushed me to do better. They didn’t force me, they encouraged me. Encouragement means a lot, and HOPE gives you hope.“
