Operation Fresh Start is a youth development program
addressing core issues facing low-income communities: education, employment, crime prevention, affordable housing and leadership development. At OFS, low-income young people ages 16-24 work toward their GED or high school diploma, learn job skills, and serve their communities by building affordable housing. In the process, they fundamentally change their lives and roles in society.

OFS is also a non-profit builder of affordable housing (view available homes now!),
each year constructing new or remodeling 8-9 homes. These homes are sold on the open market to low- and moderate-income buyers. OFS is able to provide financial assistance to make the homes more affordable to buyers.

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NEWS: OFS will hold an Open House on Thursday, September 4, from 3:00 - 5:00 pm, to recognize the achievement of OFS participants who renovated the home at 58 Farwell Street. The public is invited to tour the home and celebrate with the young people who did the work. Click here to see the invitation!

Open House at 214 North Sixth Street, Thursday, September 18, 2008, from 3:00 - 5:00 pm. More information is forthcoming soon.

More NEWS: Sixty-two participants were honored at OFS' annual graduation ceremony, held August 14 at MATC's Norman Mitby Theater.

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, the keynote speaker, praised OFS for opening doors and emphasized that the young people who come through our doors are full of potential. She said that with work, study, support, and a dream, there is nothing that should stand in their way.
Graduate speakers Dan Alexander and Nicholas Hartelt gave the audience a sketch of what it has meant to reach a point where the future is promising, not bleak, thanks to OFS staff member guidance and support. The honored graduates were: Dan Alexander; Essence Alexander; Adam Althaus; Brandon Ballweg; Gregory Baumann; Harley Bethel; Curtis Bodie; Alisia Borman; Carrie Breunig; James Campbell; Cedric Clacks; Bridgette Coster; Casey Dickinson; Quinten Esser; Renzo Garcia; Herman Gomez; Joseph Gyuricsek; Shannon Haff; Kenneth Hahn; Beijing Hale; Nicholas Hartelt; Paul Harvey; Frank Hernandez; Anthony Hoffman; Octavius Hooker; Derek Huber; Courtney Ivy; Dillon Jeglum; Tavi Jones; Troy Kazmierczak; Kimberly Kluever; Nicole Kubly; Phyroum Lay; Rufus Lively, Jr.; John Mack; Andrew Martin; Fernale McAtee; Glenn McDaniel; Randy McCraw; Kimberly Michaelis; Jenna Milich; Ashley Montoya; Kelsey Nelson; Emily Payne; Erica Pickett; Leon Pledger; Catherine Roach; Musa Rogers; Troy Rowe; Jakim Show; Toby Siripalaka; Ryan Smith; Amanda Stephenson; Michael Syvrud; Santiago Teniente; Pa Lia Thao; William Tremain; Travis Weisensel; Jacob Wesson; Spencer Williams; Jacob Witte; and, Coua Xiong

More News

• Wal-Mart Foundation Donates $100,000 to OFS to re-engage out-of-school youth.
• CUNA Mutual Foundation donates $50,000 to OFS to bring on an 8th construction crew to build an affordable house on Troy Drive in Madison

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