Golden Opps – Started in 2008
Phillip and Rhonda Sykes lead us in worship
This partnership started in 2008 with a local McDonalds owner who provided jobs to all men living in Ever Living Hope Transformational Housing near the stores, The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center where men were recruited, Mentor Corps mentors and leadership and with the generous financial support of a major local corporation. Eight men were recruited for the 9 month program. Seven of the men completed the program, one became a store manager, one became a shift manager, one has a new full time job at The Salvation Army, one continued to work at McDonalds, three have secured new employment and one returned to the The Salvation Army for more recovery and rehabilitation needs.
"Golden Opps was like being on a team for me. It helped me learn to trust the men I worked with at McDonalds, as well as where we lived together for all of those months. The mentoring helped me focus on the future. I am very grateful for having had this opportunity."
— Donald Thomas (left) Mentor Corps Graduate – Fall 2009
"Having the chance to be in this structured program kept me from falling back to my old ways. I had to be accountable to the other men in the program as well as my mentor and it's just what I needed to grow as a new man in my life."
— Ben Johnson (center) Mentor Corps Graduate – Summer 2009
"The mentoring support was critical for me to learn accountability and change my attitudes about many life issues. My mentor even came with me to my court appearance, and the judge was very impressed with [Golden Opps], and said that made a difference in my probation vs. jail time. This opportunity changed my life."
— David Johnson (right) Mentor Corps Graduate – Fall 2009
Royal Opps – Started in 2009
Anthony Gordon (Mentee, left) and Jim Lynch (Mentor, right)
Royal Opps was developed with the help of a Dairy Queen owner who caught our vision and understood our mission. With selection support from Mentor Corps, he hired men enrolled in our program to work at one of his stores. Four men were hired. We are very grateful for this kind of partnership from business owners.