Hope CDA Life Transformation Program
What is Hope CDA?
In four words, Hope CDA is “Offering Hope, Building Lives.” Hope CDA serves those who are looking for a second chance and is one of the most unique organizations of its kind in the country. We are not a recovery program, but a Christian Life Transformation Program that helps our men build a personal relationship with Jesus. This leads to the development of character and work skills for successful re-entry into the local community.
Hope CDA believes that developing a relationship with God, based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is the basis for a life transformation. This, in turn, leads to a meaningful, healthy, and productive life. In helping men leave their past behind, we transform lives and our community at the same time. Our wholistic 12- to 15-month Christian program breaks the fatherless poverty cycle while helping to revitalize the Cedar Rapids neighborhoods in which we live and work.
Hope has has had nearly 40 graduates since the program was created, including 25 of the last four years. In 2025, nine men graduated the program, the most in any calendar year.
Program Goals
We offer a 12- to 15-month residential program where the men are equipped with relational, spiritual, living, and work skills that prepare them for stable employment and healthy relationships after they graduate the program. A strong emphasis is placed on finding long-term support and accountability through participants growing in their faith while also building a strong community support.
Individuals grow within the program through a “band of brothers” mentality, where the participants grow because of the support of fellow participants. This is accomplished through living in one of the Hope CDA program houses and by working together on enterprise projects. The goal of the program is to help individuals grow in the following areas:
- Spiritually through morning devotions, church attendance, classes, and Bible studies.
- Occupationally through construction and other work-related skills classes, and on-the-job training.
- Interpersonally through life-skills classes, interpersonal skill development, counseling, budgeting, and real-life experiences.
Hope CDA believes that developing a relationship with God, based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is the basis for the personal transformation that leads to a meaningful, healthy, and productive life.
Our Mission: Demonstrate Christ’s love by equipping individuals to transform their lives through gainful employment and skillful living.
Understand that you must be willing to comply with all of the following requirements:
- Desire for personal change and development.
- Willingness to participate in Christian living and Bible studies.
- Commitment to 12- to 15-month
- Commitment to a drug and alcohol-free environment.
- Commitment to abide by rules that have been established to ensure a safe, healthy, and productive house and work environment.
- Not listed on a sex offender registry.
- Not taking certain medications for MAT including suboxone or methadone.
- Ability to perform work assigned, primarily residential construction and seasonal outdoor work.
- Participants may be limited in their phone use while in the program.
- Participants are not allowed to have a romantic relationship of any kind while in the program.
- Participants must participate in a minimum of two recovery meetings per week.
- Participants must have a 12-step sponsor while in the program.
- Participants must select and actively participate in a home church within the community.
- Participants must attend one Bible study a week.
- Participants must be willing to submit to regular and random UAs.
Other requirements and restrictions are outlined in the Hope CDA Participant Handbook which will be explained upon acceptance into the program.
A Life-Transformation
The list above provides a snapshot of many of the policies and guidelines you will be expected to follow while you are a participant in the Hope CDA Life-Transformation Program. We want to make it clear that life-transformation begins by submitting to the authorities that God has placed on this earth (Romans 13:1-7), and these rules are an essential part of demonstrating a commitment to change.
Dedicated to Christ
Hope CDA is an unapologetically Christian program. The fundamentals of the program are rooted in the teachings, principles, and ethics derived from the Bible. Participants are not required to be a Christian to enter the program and are not required to become a Christian to graduate. However, all participants are required to learn and study about Jesus and attend church and Bible study weekly. We believe that life transformation only happens through Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit, and so participants are required to be fully engaged in classes, services, and studies.
Romantic Relationships
Romantic relationships are strictly forbidden. The Number 1 reason that a man will relapse is because of this type of relationship, so all romantic relationships are forbidden and all non-familial relationships with women outside of the program will be limited. This is a time to work on yourself to develop character, life skills, and a spiritual center that will make you the best man for any future relationship.
On occasion, participants enter our program who are married. Your wife needs to understand that she will have limited communication with you while you are in the program and it may be four months or more before she is allowed to see you in person. We want you to have a successful marriage, but our commitment is to you first. Helping you to be a great man of God is the focus of our program.
Work
Participants work an average of 29.5 hours per work, mostly working on remodeling and renovating homes. Participants learn construction skills to help them to complete tasks.
The Bible calls men to work to care for themselves and their families (Ephesians 4:28). The initial focus of your training will be to lay a foundation for you to be successful upon graduation. This includes going to work daily (Monday-Thursday), coming to work with a good attitude, and following the directions of your foreman. As you progress through the program, you will be taught many skills related to construction and remodeling, including but not limited to, flooring, demolition, framing, drywall and window installation, painting, and siding. The goal is for you to learn skills so that you can be left unsupervised or with minimal supervision to complete tasks.
You do not need to have any knowledge of construction to enter the program or to be successful in completing the program. You will be taught to use tools, make measurements and cuts, and perform tasks so that you can help complete home remodeling projects.
All participants are paid a stipend of $75 per week for the first six months that they are in the program. This stipend can be reduced based upon violations of the rules or failure to follow directions. After six months, participants move to a rate of $9/per hour. This helps them to learn how to budget money and care for themselves. This also enables them to pay fines or child support if they are required to do so.
Participants will move from the stipend to the hourly wage based upon performance on the work/enterprise side. A participant who does not meet the expectations of the program may be extended in Level 2 or Level 3, extending his time earning the stipend and his duration in the program.
The purpose of the Hope CDA program is to teach good habits of behavior that builds good character. We want participants to be the best worker at their next job, and that starts by approaching any job with the right attitude and a focus on finding contentment in doing a job well.
During the final five months in the program, you will work with program staff to find an outside job. This will include learning how to build a resume, fill out applications, and interview for jobs. You will develop employment goals and will work an outside job in the final two months of your journey in the Hope CDA Program. Note: You will still be required to participate in all program activities during these final two months.
Phone
All participants are required to have a telephone during their time in the program. The Life360 app is installed on all participant phones and is used to ensure that participants are always in the appropriate area.
Phones are not to be used during work hours or during class time. They are not to be used to watch inappropriate material, such as pornography.
Television
Participants are encouraged to engage with the program. Therefore, participants are not allowed to have personal TVs in their rooms until they have completed at least six months in the program. Community televisions are provided for watching programs and movies and for playing video games.
Our Goals
- To show Christ’s love.
- To see God change lives.
- To see men lead successful lives free from addiction.
- To provide an environment for God to move.
- To enhance employment opportunities through career training.
- To transform neighborhoods by refurbishing houses.
- To provide housing for low-income families.
- To break the fatherless poverty cycle.
- To help men to become leaders.
- To help men learn how to live successfully, financially, relationally and spiritually.
If you would like to learn more about the Hope CDA Life Transformation Program, contact:
Program Navigation Staff
Hope Community Development Association
842 14th St SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403
Program Navigators: (319) 929-3592,
Email: ProgramNavigation@HopeCDAcr.org