Tim Dempsey, right, executive director of Chattanooga Endeavors, talks while Curtis Matthews listens. The program, which attempts to find jobs for felons, is hoping to raise money for its programs.AT A GLANCEFor more information concerning Chattanooga Endeavors:• Call Tim Dempsey at 423-266-1888 or 423-451-6039.• Go to www.chattanoogaendeavors.com.
A nonprofit that found jobs for at least 200 felons a year for more than a decade lost its funding in 2011.
As gang violence simmers and members of an increasing prison population return to the streets, ex-felons say the need is even greater for the jobs program at Chattanooga Endeavors.
“Whether they are ex-convicts or not, they need money,” said former Vice Lord Norman Sullivan. “If they can’t get [money] working, they’re going to [use] other means.”
Sullivan, who spent 10 years in prison for second-degree murder, is among hundreds of felons who found employment through Chattanooga Endeavors during the 15 years its job program operated.