The New Hope Project was created in 1991 to promote effective work-based solutions to poverty.
The New Hope Project has played a key role in the formulation of a number of government programs and policies in
For the past two years,
Original Program
New Hope began in 1994 as a demonstration project testing whether a program that offered help finding a job, subsidized health and child care, community service jobs when needed, and an earnings supplement could help low-income families enter the workforce and leave poverty.
Learn more from the book written about the original New Hope demonstration project.The original program operated for three years, and researchers have followed its results, which are very encouraging, for eight years.
Current Employment Program
Through our Supporting Families program, the New Hope Project is currently working with those facing the highest barriers to work: those without a high school degree, those with minimal work histories, and the formerly incarcerated.
NHP provides the following:
- help in finding work through individualized job search;
- for those unable to find regular work within a month of enrollment, a “transitional” job—a temporary paid job that builds skills and a work history;
- small amounts of monetary assistance for items related to getting or keeping a job;
- retention bonuses at 30, 90 and 180 days;
- referrals to training and education programs, including Workforce Investment Act trainings.
As of April 2007, New Hope's Supporting Families program has enrolled 172 active participants.
Since 2005, Supporting Families has enrolled 300 participants; 161 have obtained unsubsidized employment.
Since 2005, 67 participants have worked in transitional jobs.
For greater reach and impact, NHP is also a member of the National Transitional Jobs Network.
Julie Kerksick
Executive Director
414.270.7562
juliek@newhopeproject.org
Tom Back
Supporting Families Program Director
414.270.7567
tom@newhopeproject.org
El-Amin Abdullah
Project Representative
414.270.7563
elamin@newhopeproject.org
Zack Curtis
Project Representative
414.270.7564
zack@newhopeproject.org
Terron Edwards
Project Representative
414.270.7565
terron@newhopeproject.org
Jeff Hopton
Transitional Jobs Site Coordinator
414.270.7577
jeff@newhopeproject.org
Tom Koehn
Employer Representative
414.270.7569
tkoehn@kaisergrp.com
Kathleen Ludington
Operations Manager
414.270.7566
kathleen@newhopeproject.org
Melissa (Mo) Schultz
Project Representative
414.270.7568
melissa@newhopeproject.org
New Hope Project Board of Directors
Wes Albinger
Milwaukee County Department of Health & Human Services
Martha Antony (Secretary)
Townsend Street School, Community Learning Center
Pamela Fendt
Director, Good Jobs and Livable Neighborhoods Coalition
Graham Gibbs (Treasurer)
Business Relationship Manager, Wells Fargo Bank
Patrick Hall (President)
President, Patrick J. Hall & Associates, LLC Consulting
Bill Johnson (Vice President)
Business Manager (Retired), Laborers 113
Mayhoua Moua
Consultant & Hmong Translator
Christine Nault
Cash Management Analyst, Northwestern Mutual
Demetra Nightingale
Principal Research Scientist, Johns Hopkins University
Sharon Schulz
Former Executive Director, Next Door Foundation
For our current fiscal year, July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008, The New Hope Project receives support from the following partners:
- Assurant Health Foundation
- Helen Bader Foundation
- Brico Fund
- Annie E. Casey Foundation
- Community Shares
- Gesu Parish Endowment
- The Greater Milwaukee Foundation
- Enroth Family Fund
- Ralph B. Schwartz Fund
- Joseph and Vera Zilber Family Foundation, Inc.
- Joyce Foundation
- MDRC
- Miller Brewing Company Corporate Social Responsibility
- The State of Wisconsin - Department of Corrections
- United Way - Employment Initiative
- Wells Fargo Foundation
- Wisconsin Health Plan
- Word of Hope Ministries