Full Circle Celebration: Operation Fresh Start Returns Home to Highlight Past, Present, and Future

Current and past staff, alumni, board members, and community supporters gather at Atwood Music Hall on July 23 to celebrate OFS's history in the building.

On a warm summer evening, laughter, memories, and hope echoed through the walls of a once-familiar space. Operation Fresh Start’s Full Circle Celebration, held at the beautifully renovated Atwood Music Hall, brought together decades of staff, alumni, board members, and community supporters to honor the organization's deep roots and ever-growing impact.

The building at 1925 Winnebago St. served as OFS’s headquarters for roughly 40 years. Now reimagined as a music venue, the space still holds the heartbeat of the thousands of young people whose lives were transformed inside its walls.  

A Homecoming Decades in the Making

"This is a full-circle moment," said Brian McMahon, OFS Executive Director, who began his career in that building 26 years ago. “We truly love this building. In many ways, I grew up here as a young professional, and OFS grew up here as an organization.”  

OFS Executive Director Brian McMahon recalls his 20 years of working in the old building.

McMahon recalled his first day stepping into OFS as a construction supervisor, full of ambition to build affordable housing.

“But very quickly, I learned that this organization was about building young people and building futures,” he said.  

The evening wasn’t just about memories—it was also a celebration of the building’s transformation and the young people who helped make it possible.  

Young Builders, Big Impact  

Pictured (left-right): Build Academy Graduates Dallas and Ja'Myia, Build Academy Supervisor Jason Prell share their experience demoing and reconstructing Atwood Music Hall.

Two OFS Build Academy participants—Dallas and Ja’Myia—shared how they contributed to the building’s renovation. From hauling gravel to crawling through the basement, these emerging adults did the hands-on work to give the structure new life.

“I wanted to do something to help the community, and building things felt like the right way,” said Dallas, who now works for Krupp General Contractors. “OFS taught me that everything’s not going to be handed to you—you have to go out and get it.”

Ja’Myia, now employed as the only female glazier in Madison, beamed with pride.

“OFS was one of the best experiences I’ve had. I’m grateful for the skills, knowledge, and support I received,” she said. “I started with a job shadow at Lake City Glass, applied within three days, and got hired.”  

A Legacy of Leadership

McMahon honored the “giants” who built the foundation of OFS—founder Jack Osteraas, second Executive Director John Ramer, third Executive Director Connie Ferris Bailey, and longtime leaders like Jim Sanders and George Riggins. He also celebrated former Executive Director Greg Markle and current Board Chair Jeff Russell for their continued influence and mentorship.  

“We stand on the shoulders of giants,” McMahon said. “Each generation adds something new, but the heart remains the same.”  

Momentum Toward the Future  

Top: OFS at 1925 Winnebago St., where it was headquartered for nearly 40 years. Bottom: OFS at 2670 Milwaukee St., where it has been located since 2019.

The celebration also marked OFS’s bold expansion since moving to its new headquarters at 2670 Milwaukee St. In just six years, the organization has launched:

• Drive: A free driver's license attainment program.  

• Drive to Succeed: Supporting young adults who are justice-involved in partnership with JustDane.  

• Build Academy: Expanded from one to five advanced construction crews working alongside industry professionals.  

• Conservation Academy: A natural resources career training program working alongside industry professionals. 

• CareerScape: Helping young adults explore career options, prepare for employment, and take next steps towards achieving career goals. 

• CareerPoint: Training young adults in healthcare, early childhood education, and financial service industries.

And the growth continues. McMahon previewed an expansion into healthcare career training, providing stronger supportive services like mental health and childcare, and increased stipends, ensuring young adults don’t have to choose between short-term income and their future.

“As we listen to our participants, the message is clear,” he said. “OFS works. OFS changes lives. And our community wants more.”  

Pictured (left-right): Conservation Alumni Keenih and Marcus catch up with their OFS Supervisor Jake Norman.

A Night to Reflect, Reconnect, and Rise

With heartfelt thanks to Topher Christensen, owner of Atwood Music Hall, for donating the venue, Festival Foods for donating the food, and Second Market Capital Economic Opportunity Foundation for launching a $25,000 matching gift challenge, the night celebrated generosity, partnership, and purpose. Thanks to Second Market Capital, any donation made to OFS through September 30 will be matched.

In closing, McMahon shared a quote gifted to him by his wife when he became executive director—a line from Irish poet Seamus Heaney:  

“Hope is not optimism, which expects things to turn out well, but something rooted in the conviction that there is good worth working for.”  

It is the strength of our past that fuels the hope for our future.

And with that, the OFS family—old friends and new—walked through the halls once again, now filled with music, stories, and the promise of what’s next.