About | Anchor Hope Ministry

OUR BEGINNING

In 1998, Jean Franklin answered a call from The Lord to minister to the needs of the formerly incarcerated and families impacted by the criminal justice system. Anchor of Hope was birthed out of Ms. Franklin's personal pain and the negative impact the incarceration of her older son had on her family.

Anchor of Hope was instrumental in forming a partnership between Greater Bethany EDC and Jordan Locke Adult School to establish the Greater Bethany Adult Learning Center that offered GED, ESL, Basic Computer Skills and Effective Parenting classes to adult residents in the surrounding community.

Anchor of Hope was among a group of Southern California organizations who came together to form the Alameda Corridor Jobs Coalition (ACJC). The coalition's objective was to secure jobs for local residents on the Alameda Corridor Project, a $2.4 billion construction project that built a 21-mile rapid rail corridor in Los Angeles. ACJC won an unprecedented local hiring agreement that resulted in the creation of job opportunities to residents who lived along the project corridor.

Anchor of Hope hosted the first "Second Chance" job fair for the formerly incarcerated. The job fair was successful in bringing together private corporations, community-based organizations, and educational institutions in formalizing a strong collaborative that provided job seekers with securing employment, resource information and referrals.

With the encouragement of Levan J Bell with the California Department of Corrections and Perry Brooks with the California Division of Juvenile Justice, Anchor of Hope began the "Coming Home Straight Talk" small group in partnership with Jimmie & Marian Barns and the Greater Bethany Community Church's Wings of Love Prison Ministry. The ministry met the needs of individuals on parole or probation by transforming their minds and attitudes to a positive response when faced with challenges often experienced in hostile environments.

Anchor of Hope was commissioned to organize and facilitate a group of concerned citizens in designing and developing a comprehensive reentry strategy for adults who were returning to South Los Angeles communities from prisons. This team formed a partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Probation and Parole offering an 8-week "Breaking Barriers" pre-employment training program at Probation offices throughout South Los Angeles. Trainings are facilitated by volunteer former parolees and attendees are referred by probation officers.

Anchor of Hope partners with The United Job Creation Initiative (UJCI) in championing local government to create project labor agreements that will ensure all construction projects, whether public or private, contain local and at risk hiring provisions.

Today, Anchor of Hope leads the way in developing effective Christian leaders to minister to the formerly incarcerated and their families through education, training and resources. Our volunteer mentors assist participants in building productive social, economic, spiritual and political lives that successfully transitions them back into their communities.

The “Justice40 Green Jobs Network” is a new environmental justice initiative launched by Anchor of Hope International Ministries. We will continue to focus on advocating for faith-based reentry programs as we have done over the past 15 years. Anchor of Hope is extending our reach to serve disadvantaged communities through an equity lens. The Justice40 Green Jobs Network will facilitate community-driven solutions to expand access to and ownership of solar energy, green careers, workforce development, and clean energy technologies for veterans, justice-impacted individuals, and under-resourced neighborhoods.

By coordinating stakeholders to provide training, funding, and resources, the initiative aims to empower residents with the tools to equitably transition to renewable energy, create sustainable jobs, and improve local climate resilience. This rebranding center environmental justice and ensures historically marginalized communities can fully participate in and benefit from the transition to a green economy.