Re-entering society can be challenging for people who have completed a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.
Homes of Hope, an Upstate-based nonprofit organization, offers a workforce-development program to help men overcoming addiction find their footing after rehab.
The one-year residential program provides job training to help men reenter the workforce with sustainable careers in the construction industry. The men can also gain essential life skills and Christian discipleship to help achieve future success.
More than 340 men have graduated from Homes of Hope’s Men’s Workforce Development Program since its inception in 1998.
“We’re not a recovery program. We’re the next step for a guy who graduates from a recovery program,” said Steve Vicari, director of men’s workforce development at Homes of Hope. “We’re looking for guys that are hungry for more.”
Job training
Interns completing the year-long Men’s Workforce Development Program receive hands-on job training while building three single-family homes for Homes of Hope. The homes are designated for families earning 30% of the area’s median income in Greenville County.
Vicari said the men are involved in the rough-in construction of the three homes. This includes building the walls, adding windows and doors, putting in electrical systems, installing cabinets and floors, and more.
“They come in here and within several months they’re wiring a residential electrical panel and understanding it,” Vicari said. “For a guy that has never been able to make it and addiction has always been his default, now he sees a way to support himself and live a productive life.”
Don Oglesby, president and CEO of Homes of Hope, said the program originally taught men how to renovate mobile homes which the nonprofit organization would provide to low-income families. The program transitioned its focus to equipping men with marketable construction skills in 2012.
“We were pretty successful with the other model, but wildly successful with the new model,” Oglesby said.
On average, program graduates receive 1,200 hours of on-the-job training and 200 hours of classroom training. The men also earn the 30-hour Occupational Health and Safety training certification at Greenville Technical College.
Self improvement
In addition to workforce training, Homes of Hope’s program also places a strong emphasis on spiritual growth. Vicari said the interns have each completed a biblically based addiction recovery program like Miracle Hill Ministries’ Overcomers Center for Men.
“We want the guys to come away with a strong spiritual foundation where they know the Lord and know him better,” Vicari said.
Homes of Hope provides free room and board for the program’s interns. Eight of the men live together at Gideon’s House in downtown Greenville. The nonprofit organization also constructed a second residential facility for interns in the final phase of the program. The new facility increased the program’s overall capacity to 12 men.
Interns receive a $100 stipend each week from Homes of Hope. The program teaches the men about personal finance and connects them to community resources for economic mobility. The men can also receive assistance with restoring their driver’s licenses and finding reliable transportation options.
Sustainable employment is the goal for every man who completes the Men’s Workforce Development Program. Vicari said the interns can start working for an outside employer while completing the last three months of the program.
Homes of Hope has several hiring partners, such as Viper Services, that regularly employ the program’s graduates. According to Homes of Hope, the average starting wage for program graduates is $18 to $20 an hour.
“Employers have seen the success of the program over the years, and I think have that level of confidence in our program that the men are going to leave our program really equipped in any kind of construction trade they have,” Oglesby said.
Did you know?
341 men have graduated from Homes of Hope’s Men’s Workforce Development Program
By the numbers
On average, interns who complete Homes of Hope’s Men’s Workforce Development Program receive:
- 1,200 hours of on-the-job training
- 200 hours of classroom training
- 260 hours of discipleship
Source: Homes of Hope’s 2024 Annual Impact Report
Starting wage
The average starting wage for graduates of Homes of Hope’s Men’s Workforce Development Program is $18 to $20 an hour.
Source: Homes of Hope’s 2024 Annual Impact Report
