Operation Fresh Start

🚨 We’re Hiring at Operation Fresh Start!

Looking to make a difference while building your career? OFS is growing, and we’ve got three exciting opportunities to join our team:

🌱 Full-Time Conservation Supervisor
🔨 Part-Time Construction Expediter
📋 HR Intern

Whether you’re passionate about working outdoors, supporting workforce development, or gaining hands-on HR experience, there’s a place for you here.

At OFS, you’ll be part of a team dedicated to empowering young people, building community, and creating real pathways to success.

👉 Check out our website to learn more and apply today! https://www.operationfreshstart.org/staff-employment

Employment at Operation Fresh Start View current job openings for Operation Fresh Start in Madison, WI

Shoutout to OFS Volunteer Pat Kelly for certifying our CareerPoint Healthcare cohort in Stop the Bleed!

Did you know trauma-related injuries account for nearly 40% of deaths worldwide—and severe bleeding is one of the leading causes? In critical situations, a person can lose their life in as little as 5 minutes. That’s why this training is so important.

Our young professionals learned essential, life-saving skills, including identifying different types of bleeding, applying direct pressure, packing wounds, and properly using a tourniquet, all in accordance with OSHA guidelines. Each participant also earned a certification upon completing the course and passing the final exam.

We’re proud to see them gaining real-world skills that will make a difference as they pursue careers in healthcare!

💙 Celebrating Social Work Month: Nate Good

This Social Work Month, we’re proud to highlight Nate Good, whose dedication to supporting young people at Operation Fresh Start truly embodies what this work is all about.

For the past four years, Nate has balanced a full-time role as a Legacy Conservation Supervisor with pursuing his Master of Social Work at University of Wisconsin-Madison—a testament to his commitment to personal and professional growth in service of others.

Now serving as a Participant Resource Coordinator, Nate is helping young people at OFS access critical community resources while continuing to mentor participants out in the field. This unique blend of hands-on work and resource support allows him to build strong relationships and meet participants where they are.

After graduating this May, Nate will step into a full-time role continuing both of these impactful positions—guiding, supporting, and empowering young people every step of the way.

👏 Thank you, Nate, for your passion, dedication, and the difference you make every day.

🏆 Celebrating Logan Sauer – Bea Christensen Perseverance Award Recipient

We are proud to recognize Logan Sauer as one of the first two participant recipients of the Bea Christensen Perseverance Award—an honor that celebrates determination, resilience, and commitment.

Logan’s journey is a true example of perseverance. He came to Operation Fresh Start to earn his high school diploma, and did so with consistency, focus, and a strong work ethic. But he didn’t stop there. Logan continued into Build Academy, balancing 32 hours a week at OFS, a full-time job, and supporting his family at home.

As his Build Academy Coordinator, Faith, shared, “Logan is a young man who embodies perseverance, shows up every single day, and never gives up.”

From working tirelessly on job sites, never stopping, even when others took breaks, to pushing through challenges without excuses, Logan has shown what it means to stay committed to your goals.

Today, Logan is building his future as a mason tender with KMI Construction, turning his hard work into a career.

In his own words, “I wouldn’t be where I am today without the people I met here at OFS.”

👏 Logan, we are incredibly proud of you and all that you’ve accomplished. Your dedication and perseverance inspire us all.

🏆 Honoring the First Bea Christensen Perseverance Award

We are proud to celebrate Bea Christensen, the very first recipient of the Bea Christensen Perseverance Award—an honor named after someone who truly embodies what perseverance means at Operation Fresh Start.

As Board President Jeff Russell shared, “If there’s an embodiment of perseverance, it’s Bea Christensen.” Through decades of life, leadership, and service, Bea has shown what it means to keep going, stay committed, and lead with purpose.

For over a decade, Bea has been a guiding light for OFS—consistently bringing the focus back to what matters most:
👉 “Are we taking care of our young people? Are we helping them? Are we making a difference?”

Her impact goes far beyond the boardroom. Bea shows up—again and again—for our young people. Whether it’s graduations, house dedications, or celebrations, she is there, reminding us all that “the greatest expression of love is showing up.”
And she doesn’t just show up, she connects, encourages, and celebrates every young person’s success.

“There are young people that maybe have been forgotten in some ways, but we haven’t forgotten them, and we’ll always be here for them,” Bea said.
Bea, thank you for your unwavering commitment, your leadership, and the love you bring to this community. This award reflects the legacy you continue to build every day.

💙 Congratulations on this well-deserved honor.

Congratulations to Nicole on this exciting new chapter!

After gaining valuable Career Coaching experience at Operation Fresh Start, Nicole made a bold pivot from retail into baking, and it paid off! This month, she accepted a position at Greenbush Bakery!

Through her work with OFS, Nicole:
✔️ Crafted a professional resume
✔️ Practiced mock interviews
✔️ Strategized with staff to confidently pursue new opportunities

Her journey is a powerful reminder of what’s possible with the right support, determination, and a willingness to grow. We’re so proud of you, Nicole!

📣 Applications Are Open Today for CareerPoint Early Childhood Education!

Young adults ages 18–24 can now apply for CareerPoint, a program designed to prepare young professionals for success and connect them to career-track employment in high-demand industries.

Through this 6-week professional development program, participants will learn new concepts, strengthen workplace skills, and earn a stipend while preparing for careers in Early Childhood Education.

🗓 Cohort Dates: April 27 – June 4
⏰ Schedule: Monday–Thursday, 8:00 AM – Noon
📅 Application Window: Open now until April 2

Participants will receive:
✅ A stipend during weeks 3 and 6
✅ First Aid & CPR Certification (Adults, Children, Infants)
✅ Introduction to the Child Care Profession Certification
✅ Safe Sleep Ambassador Certification
✅ Abusive Head Trauma Certification
✅ Mandated Reporter Certification
✅ A paid work experience with Reach Dane

CareerPoint is built in partnership with local training providers and employers to help young people explore careers and gain the skills needed to succeed in the workforce. Participants will also have opportunities to interview with employment partners once training is complete.

📌 Eligibility: Applicants must be 18–24 years old and have a high school diploma or GED.

Apply today and take the next step toward your career!

🎥 Thank You, WMTV 15 News!

A big thank you to WMTV 15 News for joining us at our Growing Our Future Campaign launch event and for the wonderful coverage highlighting the impact of Operation Fresh Start.

Additional thanks to Ascendium Education Group and The Creative Company for helping us with PR!

We’re grateful for the opportunity to share how close we are to reaching our $5.5 million campaign goal and how this investment will expand opportunities for young adults in Dane County to earn their diplomas, gain job skills, and build strong futures.

We appreciate your support in helping tell the story of our participants and the community that believes in them.

📺 Watch the coverage here:
https://www.wmtv15news.com/video/2026/03/14/operation-fresh-start-close-goal/

Operation Fresh Start close to goal The non-profit announced its close to reaching $5.5 million after receiving immediate funding from local partners.

🎉 Thank You for an Incredible Campaign Launch!

Last Friday, 68 community members, partners, supporters, and staff joined together to celebrate the launch of Operation Fresh Start’s Growing Our Future Campaign. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who attended and to those whose early support has brought us so close to the finish line.

Because of this community’s generosity, we now have just $100,000 left to reach our $5.5 million goal, and we’re excited for the broader community to help us get across the finish line.

The Growing Our Future Campaign will support OFS programs that help young adults ages 16–24 earn their high school diploma, gain job skills, and prepare for careers. It will also strengthen participant stipends, expand program capacity to meet growing demand, increase access to mental health and wraparound supports, and broaden workforce development opportunities in high-demand fields.

"We're celebrating a community that's chosen to respond, a community that sees promise in the young people and is willing to invest in that promise," OFS Executive Director Brian McMahon said. "The gap to closing this campaign is small, but the need is not. Tonight is a celebration not because the work is finished, but because your trust has made the next chapter possible."

Thank you for believing in the potential of the next generation. 💙

If you feel inspired to join our campaign, please contact Jody Weyers at [email protected]

❄️ Weather Closure Notice

Due to winter weather, Operation Fresh Start will be closed tomorrow, Monday, March 16. The safety of our participants and staff is our top priority.

Please stay safe and take precautions while traveling in winter conditions.

📐 New Training in Build Academy!

Our Build Academy Mental Toughness Cohort is diving into a new skill for the first time: Layout Elevations.

This training helps participants learn how to determine grades above and below a line of sight, an important skill used in construction and site layout. The new training was implemented at the request of the Carpenter and Laborers trades, helping ensure our participants are gaining the real-world skills employers are looking for.

By learning how to set up instruments, take rod readings, and calculate elevations, our young people are building the technical knowledge needed for careers in the skilled trades.

👏 We’re excited to introduce this new hands-on learning opportunity and continue strengthening our workforce training.