On Friday afternoon, the latest group of Project New Hope graduates celebrated their accomplishments at a ceremony at First Presbyterian Church in Washington. The event marked the program’s 13^th graduation ceremony.

Project New Hope is a rehabilitation program created by Purpose of God Annex Outreach Center to help people turn their lives around. The ceremony included testimony from participants and community leaders, such as District Attorney Seth Edwards (pictured), and was host to several other local officials.

In an email, Edwards wrote, “As a general rule, our court system is designed to punish, not rehabilitate. PNH takes convicted felons and turns them into productive citizens in the community. To quote a past graduate, ‘Do what you have to do, so you can do what you want to do.’ I’ve used that same advice with my children.”