Job Openings Announced
Operation Fresh Start is hiring a qualified individual for the position of GRANT WRITER/GRANT MANAGER/OPERATIONS DIRECTOR.

For position description and application instructions click here.

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. (WATCH OUR NEW VIDEO!)

OFS is a non-profit builder of affordable housing
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. Contact Judy: jolson@operationfreshstart.org or 608-244-4721 with questions about our homes. VIEW OUR AVAILABLE HOMES NOW! Check out our week-end Open House Schedule!

Operation Fresh Start Conservation Corps
OFS has two year-round conservation crews available to complete meaningful, labor intensive conservation and community development work projects on public lands in South Central Wisconsin.

For a modest funding match, almost all units of government and non-profit organizations can sponsor an OFS crew. Eligible project sponsors include school districts, lake associations, environmental groups, historical societies, civic organizations, divisions of local government, many sporting clubs, and more. Find our more about our conservation crews and what they can do for your community or organization.

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Thank You for Your Service!
Congratulations to Edward W. Wing, a member of the OFS Board of Directors since 1972, for his many years of service. Ed has retired from the Board of Directors after serving in the past as president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary. He has been a CPA for over 37 years and is retired from TDS, Inc., where he was assistant corporate controller. Ed also worked as an accountant for Wisconsin Cheeseman and for the public accounting firm of Smith & Gesteland. A lifelong resident of the Madison area, Ed is married and has two children and four grandchildren. Ed is also a member of the Board of the Madison Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps. We owe a debt of gratitude to Ed for the many hours he has spent helping to shape and mold Operation Fresh Start into what it is today.

Connie Ferris Bailey Receives Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award
Today, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and City of Madison Mayor Paul Soglin announced that Connie Ferris Bailey is the recipient of the combined City-County Humanitarian Award honoring the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. Connie, who was Operation Fresh Start's Executive Director for 32 years, was selected by the City-County Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission as someone who reflects Dr. King's values.

The County Executive and Mayor will present the award at the 27th Annual City-County Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance on Monday, January 16, at the Overture Center Capital Theater, 201 State Street, Madison. The program begins at 6:00 p.m.

Read the complete press release.

(photo credit: usfws)

Operation Fresh Start Conservation Crew Members help out at National US Fish & Wildlife Service Visioning Conference in Madison
During the week of July 11, the US Fish and Wildlife Service held its national conference in Madison to finalize a long-range plan for the management of national wildlife preserves. Members of Operation Fresh Start's conservation crews volunteered at the conference, staffing the social media station all week. They helped conference attendees take part in online conversations about conference topics. An important focus of the conference was attracting young people to pursue careers in natural resource management .

At left, Operation Fresh Start volunteer Danny Williams (left) helps Dan Ashe learn how to tweet at the USFWS social media station.

Find out more about the visioning conference and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

De'Andre Alexander

De'Andre Alexander Named Corpsmember of the Year
In 2011 the Corps Network, a national network of 150 youth service and conservation corps, is honoring six young people as Corpsmembers of the Year. Operation Fresh Start is proud to announce that OFS participant De'Andre Alexander has been selected as one of these six honored individuals.

We invite you to read De'Andre's story and those of the other five Corpsmembers of the Year as described in the Huffington Post.

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Thanks to American Family Insurance, Courtier Foundation, and Interactive Media Solutions (IMS) for their generous support in the creation of this website and the OFS video. Thanks also to Tilt Media for their effective work in capturing the spirit of our program in the creation of the video!

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