Operation Fresh Start is spending few weeks working with Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) on their new shelter.  One great aspect about the Fresh Start program is disconnected youth help build and support our community.  We do that through conservation work, building affordable housing, and other community projects.  

• Refurbishing Henry Vilas Zoo by painting miles of fencing, painting the entrance to the Ape House, clearing brush, and painting bathrooms;
• Building garden sheds, tennis backboards, and equipment huts for Madison Metropolitan School District;
• Building fishing piers, observation decks, trails and fence lines for Madison Parks Department; and 
• Helping DAIS reduce their capital costs for the new shelter. 

We use these projects as an opportunity for our young people to learn about themselves and how they can be a positive part of our community.   Many of our young people at Operation Fresh Start have been affected by domestic violence in their homes.

Being part of building a new shelter helps them understand that there is a resource and that they have the ability to be part of the solution.  Empowered youth are no longer disconnected.  They feel the strength to complete their education and the ability to be a productive member of our community.

Sincerely,

Gregory Markle

Operation Fresh Start

Executive Director 

www.operationfreshstart.org