Starting Justice-Involved Individuals on a Path to Employment and Independence
Using a Community Collaborative Model, the NRAEF partners with Departments of Corrections, Community-Based Organizations, and State Restaurant Associations to connect adults of all ages with current or previous justice-involvement to career opportunities in the restaurant, foodservice, and hospitality industry.
HOPES partners utilize the NRAEF’s Restaurant Ready training framework to equip individuals, 18 years of age and older, who are currently in correctional facilities, on parole/probation, or with former justice-involvement. Once a participant completes work-readiness and industry-specific training, HOPES helps them gain employment in a local restaurant and/or foodservice establishment. NRAEF works with employers and partnering organizations to help further the professional training and education of HOPES participants through connections to credentials and apprenticeship programs.
Program Information
Interested in learning more about the HOPES project? Download the program resources below.
How It Works
Click below to learn more about HOPES’ Community Collaborative Model.
HOPES Videos
HOPES Industry Skills Tour with MOD Pizza
Recently, participants from HOPES community-based organization partner Lawrence Hall attended a two-day “Industry Skills Tour” to learn more about opportunities in the restaurant industry and careers at MOD Pizza. Participants were joined by industry guests from MOD Pizza for a day of learning and visited a local MOD Pizza location for a behind-the-scenes tour.
Program Partners
Learn more about the HOPES program partners at the links below.
Department of Corrections
The DOCs identify eligible participants for the HOPES program and provide industry training and program engagement for participants during incarceration.
Delaware Department of Correction
Illinois Department of Corrections
Michigan Department of Corrections
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
Community Based Organizations
The CBOs connect with participants to conduct formal enrollment in the facility prerelease or in the community if already in reentry. CBOs provide individualized plans, coaching and case management, including: additional training, wraparound services, employment placement and 12 months of follow-up support.
ALVIS
Columbus, OH
FOOD BANK OF DELAWARE
Newark & Dover, DE
GOODWILL HOUSTON
Houston, TX
LAWRENCE HALL
Chicago, IL
OAR OF RICHMOND
Richmond, VA
PECKHAM HUMAN SERVICES
Lansing, MI
PROJECT NEW START
Wilmington, DE
SAFER FOUNDATION
Chicago, IL
SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK
San Antonio, TX
SPECTRUM HUMAN SERVICES
Detroit, MI
State Restaurant Associations
The SRAs connect participants with career information and employment opportunities through their employer partners and identify employers for recruitment. SRAs also play a critical role in educating employers on the HOPES initiative.
Delaware Restaurant Association
Illinois Restaurant Association
Training and Employer Partners
Employers offer “real life” exposure to the workplace, hire justice-involved individuals and support opportunities for career growth. Employers work with partners during the 12-month follow-up period to ensure participant retention and skill development, as well as foster apprenticeship connections.
HOPES is 100% funded through two grants in the amounts of $4 million and $900 thousand, awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, respectively.
This web page was created by NRAEF and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor or the U.S. Department of Justice. The Departments of Labor and Justice make no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This web page content is copyrighted by NRAEF.
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