ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A Buncombe County nonprofit working with people leaving incarceration and those in recovery says demand for its services continues to grow as communities across Western North Carolina confront substance use, poverty and barriers to reentry.
Operation Gateway, founded by the Rev. Philip Cooper, focuses on helping “returning citizens” — people recently released from incarceration — rebuild their lives through workforce training, peer support and resource navigation.
Cooper said the organization’s work centers on removing barriers such as stigma, lack of employment opportunities and fragmented support systems that often make it difficult for people to successfully reintegrate into society…