As we prepare for the year ahead, Mad City Dream Homes would like to highlight a vital community organization that is preparing - and equipping - young adults for success in Dane County. Operation Fresh Start (OFS) helps emerging adults carve out new pathways to success by overcoming barriers.

In tandem with personalized mentorship, OFS helps participants finish their high school diplomas, obtain drivers licenses, build trade industry skills via apprenticeships, and network in preparation for their professional lives, (among other initiatives). As Gregory Markle, OFS’s Executive Director put it, “For our young people, we build opportunities to let them know that we care. We focus on the moment when we encourage them to make a leap of faith into their potential.”

In OFS’s flagship program, Legacy, young adults earn their high school diploma while gaining valuable experience building affordable housing alongside industry professionals. Chances are, there is an OFS ‘build’ near you (see map). Through their 50-year history, Operation Fresh Start has constructed over 250 homes, while guiding its graduates into life-sustaining careers. To learn more, visit operationfreshstart.org.