Project RETURN

Project RETURN Project RETURN helps individuals leaving prison make a positive, permanent return to our community

"Project RETURN helps individuals leaving prison make a positive and permanent return to our community"
- Wendel Hruska, Executive Director

Project RETURN will be represented at the Women of Wisdom & Faith Conference 2026. Will you?• Join us August 8th at 1 p....
07/30/2026

Project RETURN will be represented at the Women of Wisdom & Faith Conference 2026. Will you?

• Join us August 8th at 1 p.m. at Alverno College for the Women of Wisdom & Faith (WWF) Conference where we'll empower you to take dominion and reclaim the family unit. Get ready for riveting talks on your financial future, real connections for family healing and God inspired change through real life application. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to grow as a family, learn as a community, and take back a generation!

Register (For FREE!) by scanning the QR code in the images, or by clicking here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wwf-conference-taking-dominion-taking-back-the-family-tickets-1993890797048

SIGN UP BEFORE AUGUST 1ST!Project RETURN's next "Circlekeeper" Training, to become a leader in the Circles of Support pr...
07/22/2026

SIGN UP BEFORE AUGUST 1ST!
Project RETURN's next "Circlekeeper" Training, to become a leader in the Circles of Support program, is just 10 days away. There are still openings to sign up.

The FREE training will be 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, at our offices at 1004 N. Tenth St., #200 / Milwaukee, WI 53233. Breakfast and lunch will be provided!

If interested, please get in touch with Amanda Smit at [email protected] or (414) 418-7312.

Every day in the work of Project RETURN, our team and the people we work with adapt to changing environments. That certa...
06/25/2026

Every day in the work of Project RETURN, our team and the people we work with adapt to changing environments. That certainly happened Wednesday at the 17th Annual Project RETURN Golf Outing @ Muskego Lakes Country Club presented by Augustine Financial where a persistent downpour and lightning forced the rounds to end considerably early.

And still, we adapted. Cribbage was played. Drinks served. Laughs shared. Positive messages communicated. Friendships born and strengthened.

The impact and work of Project RETURN are made possible by the groups who support what we do and the individuals who continuously adapt alongside us every single day. Thank you all, for your continued support, your dedication to The Work, and your good spirits in the face of adversity (and Mother Nature).

• It should be noted that, we believe for the first time in the 17-year history of the Project RETURN Golf Outing, Executive Director Wendel Hruska’s team actually had the best score, completing four holes at 1-under par.

An additional thank you goes out to all of the incredible sponsors and supporters of this annual tradition, especially Augustine Financial, von Briesen & Roper, Harrigan Sanitation Solutions, Schlossman Subaru City, Rodrian Insurance, and Table of the Saints, as well as The Benedict Center, Wisconsin Community Services (WCS), Old National Bank, Ebenezer Stone Ministries, Ford Construction, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee: Office for Jail & Prison Ministry, WISDOM Wisconsin, Foti Chiropractic, Forward TS, South Side Family Medicine, The Community, Manna Behavioral Services, JobsWork MKE, Ford Construction, Hephatha Lutheran Church, Magellan Promotions, Riverwest Radio, Historic 10th Street Residences LLC, EXPO (EX-incarcerated People Organizing) Radio, Noslo Ekim Enterprises, the St. Sebastian & St. Catherine Fighting Racism Group, All Peoples Church, and Partners In Hope & The Community Warehouse.

FULL CIRCLE MOMENTForty-six years ago, one of the five men who came up with the idea for and helped co-found Project RET...
06/19/2026

FULL CIRCLE MOMENT
Forty-six years ago, one of the five men who came up with the idea for and helped co-found Project RETURN was Elijah O’Neal. We continue to honor his legacy by honoring one individual who has been a shining light in reentry with the Elijah O’Neal Award.
Which brings us to today. Two women stopped by Project RETURN’s booth in this morning. They ‘just so happened’ to be Elijah’s granddaughter and great-granddaughter.

SEEKING DONATION OF KITCHEN APPLICANCESAre you able to help a young man continue making a strong reentry?Project RETURN ...
06/18/2026

SEEKING DONATION OF KITCHEN APPLICANCES
Are you able to help a young man continue making a strong reentry?

Project RETURN is supporting an individual moving into his first apartment, which is such a good and positive step for this young man! If anyone is capable of donating a microwave and a fridge or mini-fridge in the next week, it will be of a big help to this young man.

If you are able to help, please email [email protected] or call (262) 994-8841.

Thank you!

In observance of Juneteenth, Project RETURN's offices will be closed on Friday, June 19.If you plan on taking part in th...
06/16/2026

In observance of Juneteenth, Project RETURN's offices will be closed on Friday, June 19.

If you plan on taking part in the festivities on Friday: Make sure to stop and say hello to Mr. Frank Penigar, our Community Case Manager who will be manning the Project RETURN tent on MLK Drive, near Rose Park between Chambers & Burleigh.

BAGS BROTHERSProject RETURN residents and the men at Thrive For Life's Joseph House got together for the first-ever Co**...
06/10/2026

BAGS BROTHERS
Project RETURN residents and the men at Thrive For Life's Joseph House got together for the first-ever Co****le Tournament last night.

Fun was had.
Bags were thrown.
Brotherhood was fostered.

It's the little things.

😊

Powerful words from Randy Forsterling, who spoke with some of our guys yesterday. Please take a minute and give this ref...
06/10/2026

Powerful words from Randy Forsterling, who spoke with some of our guys yesterday. Please take a minute and give this reflection a read. Randy is someone who "gets it."

"Yesterday, my friend Jumar and I had the opportunity to speak at Project RETURN in Milwaukee at the invitation of Sara Williams.
Jumar and I arrived early and spent some time walking around the area. We strolled past the courthouse, interacted with people on the streets, stretched our legs, and caught up with one another since we live about an hour apart.
Seeing the neighborhood up close before our visit made the symbolism of those three city blocks even more striking.
Across the street stood the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility.
Just down the block sat the courthouse.
And amidst them sat Project RETURN.

A bridge.
Not a guarantee of success.
Not a free pass.
Not a way to erase the past.
A bridge.

Sara met us on the street, welcomed us inside, and gave us a tour of the facility, including one of the apartments. It was a stark reminder that while these men are no longer behind bars, they are still in the process of rebuilding their lives.
We shook hands with the residents as they entered the room, grabbed slices of pizza, and settled in for a conversation.
One of the men we met entered prison at age 15 and was released after serving 41 years. Today, he has a small apartment, support, structure, and an opportunity to save money while working toward independence and rebuilding a life that many would have thought impossible after so many years behind bars.
Will he succeed?
Nobody knows.
Because nobody can give a person success.
Success is earned through attitude, choices, accountability, and perseverance.
What Project RETURN provides is something different: an opportunity.
A bridge between incarceration and independence.
A bridge between surviving and living.
A bridge between who someone was and who they have the potential to become.
As I looked at MSDF, the courthouse, and the reentry program all within a few blocks of one another, I couldn’t help but think about how close those worlds are geographically—and how far apart they can be in reality.
Sometimes the most important thing we can offer another person isn’t a guarantee.
It’s a bridge.
Then it’s up to them to cross it.
One conversation and one step at a time.
Afterward, Jumar and I grabbed a bite to eat and spent some time reflecting on our own journeys and the friendship we’ve built over the years. We talked about the choices we’ve made, the people who helped us along the way, and how different our paths could have been under different circumstances.
I’m grateful to Sara Williams for the invitation, to the team at Project RETURN for the work they do every day, and especially to the men who shared their stories, experiences, and honesty with us.
I look forward to returning in August with my friend Jose Villarreal, who is excited for the opportunity to share his own journey.
Thank you for the conversation, the perspective, and the reminder that while none of us can change the past, we can all help build bridges toward a better future." 🌉

Address

1004 N. Tenth Street , #200
Milwaukee, WI
53233

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9am - 4:30pm
Friday 9am - 3pm

Telephone

+14143748029

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