US Representative Tammy Baldwin addresses 2009 OFS graduates.

2010 OFS Awards & Recognition Ceremony - August 2, 2010, 6:30 - 8:00 PM, Warner Park Community Center, Madison
Each year, OFS honors those participants who have achieved milestones in their personal and academic development. These achievements include passing the HSED or obtaining a high school diploma; completing AmeriCorps Terms of Service; improving math and reading skills; achieving the Employability Skills Certificate; and, earning scholarships from community organizations. The public is invited to the ceremony. Participants will speak, certificates and scholarships will be presented; and, refreshments will be served after the ceremony. State Senator Jon Erpenbach (Wisconsin District #27) will be our Master of Ceremonies. If you have questions about the ceremony, please call OFS at 608-244-4721.

Family member watches the 2009 OFS Graduation Ceremony.

2010 Awards and Recognition Ceremony. For their accomplishments in the OFS program, we recognize the following young people:
Jasmine Adams, De'Andre Alexander, Brandon Alling, Antonio Avila, Gage Beske, Sol Bjorklund, Dominique Blathers, Shaquelia Boose, Esmeralda Bruzon, Emanuel Burrell, Justin Burrow, Yngwie Campbell, Austin Chase, Nicholas Clark, Jacqueline Cook, Doug Crowder, Abdifitah Dahir, Tabitha Dahl, Alyssa Dietzman, Lemuel Estrera, Gregory Feider, Jenna Gibson, Christian Gomez, Robert Gutierrez, Kenneth Holden, Gary Howard, Mohamed Jalloh, Latia Jarmon, Brandon Johnson, Sean Johnson, Quentin Jones, Tiffany Kolman, Michelle Layman, Calvin Lentz, Jamall Lewis, John Mack, John Malavolti, Alex Martinez, Randy McCraw, Glenn McDaniel, David Meboe, Edgar Mendez, Andrew Meyers, Isaac Montgomery, Mitchell Oakey, Tenzing Palden, Kevin Pen, Spencer Peters, Brittany Pierce, Sydney Raife, Kenneth Redwood, Anna Reinhart, Dustin Riggins, Jonathan Rivera, Allex Rodgers, Shina Sheriff-Bruckert, David Silverman, Sidney Smith, Jonathan Solano, Edwin Sprouls, Dimitrius Stankovich, Charles Strader, Samantha Stumpf, Daylena Sykes, Patrick Taylor, Fernando Teniente, Shawnney Thao, Deonte Thompson, Dillon Thompson, Kyle Titley, Cha Vang, Dathan Wainwright, Jacob Wesson, Shayla Whitehouse, Sean Winton

OFS participant Joe Reinhart addresses 2009 graduates and audience

Special Recognition goes to the following participants:

• Isaac Montgomery - Participant of the Year
• Ken Redwood - The Jack Osteraas Award
• Lemuel Estrera - American Citizenship Award
• De'Andre Alexander - American Citizenship Award
• Shina Sheriff-Bruckert - American Citizenship Award
• David Meboe - CUNA Mutual Scholarship Recipient
• Dillon Thompson - Red Cross Scholarship Recipient
• Dimitrius Stankovich - Red Cross Scholarship Recipient
• Jacqueline Cook - Red Cross Scholarship Recipient

OFS crew celebrates the completion of the Bernice Owen (in front, in blue) Condominiums located on Crescent Rd. in Allied Neighborhood.

The meaning of success:
Operation Fresh Start's goal for each of its participants is that they attain success through connection to work and education. 80% of those who enroll complete the program, enrolling in post-secondary education or entering unsubsidized employment. Follow-up studies show that 82% of OFS graduates are currently in post-secondary education or jobs averaging $11.85/hour. Eighty-four percent have remained free of criminal offense. In its 40 years of service, OFS has enrolled over 7,300 young people, and its construction training crews have built or re-built 210 homes sold to first-time, low-income buyers or leased to very low-income households.