Fresh Attitudes for New Success seeing success in Michiana

GRANGER, Ind. -- A jails to jobs program is seeing success in Michiana. 

ABC57 first introduced you to Alicia Brown in March. She's a recovering addict and former DuComb Center inmate trying to help felons find jobs after incarceration with a program she created called Fresh Attitudes for New Success, or F.A.N.S.

Five months later, and Brown says it's working. As of Sunday, there are 19 F.A.N.S graduates. Twelve more will graduate within the next two weeks. Brown says there's a 75 percent employment rate for people who have successfully completed F.A.N.S.

One of those success stories is Brandon Griffith. For two months he's made salads and omelettes at Uptown Kitchen in Granger. Griffith's counselor at Ducomb introduced him to F.A.N.S. He thought it could make a change in his life he knew he needed. 

“I was an addict for like six or seven years and after that amount of time, your self-esteem gets so low, you just feel like you’re worthless, you know what I mean?" said Griffith. "So to be on the right track and to have people proud of you again and complementing you again, is big, feels good.”

“We’ve really started to change the conversation in our community that we’re able to really help other individuals that just because you’ve been convicted of a felony per say, it doesn’t mean you’re done," said Brown. 

F.A.N.S recently opened a business clothing bank for its students. Brown said the clothing bank is meant to help students clothe themselves for job interviews and work.  

“It’s not a hand out, it’s a hand up. It puts them in a really good position to where they feel confident when they’re moving forward in all of their interviews and business needs from here on out," said Brown.

Brown is asking for the community's help. She said F.A.N.S is currently accepting business clothing donations. Brown said there's a need for men and women's shirts, pants, ties, and shoes in all sizes. Donations can be made at South Bend South Storage. People can also contact Brown at [email protected].