Second Hope Ministry began 2006, when the founder, Gary Polsgrove, began teaching a class based on the book “The Purpose Driven Life” at Dismas Charities, a halfway house for incarcerated men. After teaching the class for two years, Gary obtained approval from the Metro Department of Corrections to begin transporting inmates who had successfully completed his class to church for weekly worship services and Sunday school class.
Over the years of discipling, mentoring, and loving these men, Gary saw first-hand the many challenges they faced transitioning back into society once they were released. As a result, Gary began implementing various educational and spiritual programs to help them overcome these obstacles. One of the most difficult challenges for men who have a “record” is finding meaningful employment. In response, Gary became a certified instructor through a nationally recognized program called “Jobs for Life”. It required him to personally fund the purchase of training materials and invest many hours into preparation and training.
Since then, Gary has recruited other Christian businessmen and leaders to come alongside and participate in the amazing work God is doing through this ministry. Today, Second Hope ministers to both men and women, and through our Second Hope House transition home we give those leaving incarceration a safe and supportive place to rebuild their lives. In 2025, the ministry grew to include a women’s ministry, bringing that same hope and restoration to women impacted by incarceration and addiction. On a weekly basis, we are impacting hundreds of people and multiple generations through the families that each of these individuals represents.
