Second chances deliver the opportunity to correct a wrong, choose a better path, and live a life of renewed purpose.
That’s the mission of the nonprofit Operation New Hope.
For more than 20 years, Operation New Hope has worked to build a stronger community by creating opportunities for people with a criminal history to realize second chances by reconnecting with the workforce.
Individuals with the heart and mind to make and accept changes survive and thrive. Here at Florida Capital Bank (FLCBank), we believe in helping our communities thrive — from our products and services to donations and volunteer work with local charitable organizations.
FLCBank, recently named on Jacksonville Magazine “Companies with Heart” list, was founded to provide solutions that support the financial success of businesses and their owners. Often that means reinvesting in our community in multiple ways. With Operation New Hope, the word takes on another meaning: a reinvestment in people.
For the second year FLCBank is a lead sponsor of the Hope Starts Here 5K and One-Mile Fun Run, a fundraising event on Saturday, May 20, 2023 to help provide workforce training, mental health services and job placement for people affected by the criminal justice system. The race will begin and end at Operation New Hope’s offices in historic Springfield, located at 1830 N. Main Street.
Operation New Hope offers a partnership that allows our team to give back to the local neighborhoods we serve on a more personal level. Everyone on our team knows how important second chances are for our entire community — including Beth Touchton, Community Reinvestment Act officer, who was pivotal in building the relationship between FLCBank and Operation New Hope.
FLCBank’s community engagement team has seen first-hand the positive outcomes of Operation New Hope’s programs for job seekers and employers in our communities, and how important it is to support Operation New Hope.
“We are honored to work with Operation New Hope. This event represents a step forward in making Jacksonville’s economy one where second chances are celebrated every day,” said Mark Johnson, President, and CEO of FLCBank. “Through our volunteer efforts like this event, FLCBank provides meaningful support to organizations who help make the communities where we live and work stronger and better for everyone.”
“Whenever someone crosses a finish line in their life — whether it’s a personal goal, a professional accomplishment or a 5K with friends and family — it has the power to inspire hope in someone else,” said Reggie Fullwood, President and CEO of Operation New Hope. “Together with our partner FLCBank, we look forward to welcoming familiar faces and new friends to Springfield to see where hope starts for the 1,000+ people we help rebuild their lives each year.”
Runners and walkers are encouraged to register; all will enjoy a brand-new route through the neighborhood that takes participants down charming tree-lined streets, past homes dating back to the early 1900s and along sections of the Emerald Trail.
Registration for the Hope Starts Here 5K is now open through 1st Place Sports. For more information about the race, visit operationnewhope.org.