On July 21, Garden of Hope International, Inc. (GOH), together with its local partner Re-Entry Alliance Pensacola, Inc. (REAP), launched the first round of on-the-ground skills-and-needs data collection for the Fresh Start Workforce Program in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties.
Partners on Site to Launch Together
Vince Whibbs, Jr., Executive Director of REAP, came to the site in person and warmly introduced GOH's three-person team to participants.
GOH Executive Director Helen Li then briefly presented the program and underscored GOH's role. She invited participants to take part in the survey so the team can make the program plan more concrete and targeted — supporting participants in building sustainable employment pathways and a fuller return to society.
"We are service providers, not benefactors."
— Helen Li, Executive Director, Garden of Hope International
By the Numbers
In one day in the field, the team completed skills-and-needs assessments with 13 participants.
8
Women
5
Men
10
Returning Citizens
3
Experiencing Homelessness
Objective Data First
The heart of this first step is understanding each participant objectively and systematically — including their skills base, education, existing certifications, employment barriers, and real-world constraints.
The team used GOH's own Skills, Strengths & Interests Profile, designed in two versions: one for returning citizens and one for neighbors experiencing homelessness. The form is kept confidential and is used only to plan each participant's support — not as a law-enforcement or supervision tool — with participant information handled in accordance with applicable privacy and consent requirements.
Image Release & Consent
That day, all 13 participants also signed an Image Release & Informed Consent Form, and 10 of them authorized GOH to use their likeness. GOH will strictly honor each person's choice — the images of those who did not consent will not appear in any public materials.
A Small Hiccup, Quickly Resolved
All participants had originally been expected to be returning citizens, but some noted that the questionnaire didn't match their circumstances. After a brief conversation, the team confirmed they were in fact neighbors experiencing homelessness. With help from REAP staff, the correct version of the form was printed on the spot and the issue was quickly resolved — a moment that underscored exactly why GOH designed two separate instruments for the two populations, and reflected the easy coordination between the two organizations.
A Phased Path to Individualized Career Plans
This first round of data collection is only the beginning of the planning process. Next, GOH will analyze the data and, through additional career assessments and individual interviews, design a complete, individualized career-development plan for each participant.
From there, the pathway continues through vocational training — across six tracks, each matched to a person's skills and goals — followed by employment preparation and post-placement retention support.
Vocational Training Tracks
A Joint GOH–REAP Initiative
The Fresh Start Workforce Program is a collaborative initiative jointly developed and carried out by GOH and REAP. It serves the two local populations facing the highest barriers to employment — returning citizens and people experiencing homelessness — helping them gain sustainable vocational skills, a documented work history, and a sense of community belonging.
The long-term goal is to improve participants' economic self-sufficiency, with GOH and REAP continuing to work side by side as the program moves forward.
More Than Numbers: Refreshments, Shared Together
When the data collection was done, everyone sat down together and shared refreshments GOH had prepared for the group. We had invited everyone to help themselves from the start, but they naturally waited until the surveys were finished, and then we shared the food together as neighbors. Beyond the objective, professional assessment, what we hoped to convey was respect and presence — service, not charity.
The Team in the Field
A look at the day's data collection alongside REAP in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties.
This first round of assessments marks the beginning of a long-term workforce development initiative that GOH and REAP are building together. As the Fresh Start Workforce Program moves into its next phase, the two organizations will continue working side by side to create practical pathways toward lasting employment and community reintegration.
About Garden of Hope International
Garden of Hope International, Inc. (GOH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Pensacola, Florida, dedicated to providing vocational rehabilitation and social-reintegration support for returning citizens and people experiencing homelessness in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties.