From Solutions to Wholeness
For decades, our founder, Edwin R. Lucus, worked deep within the systems designed for workforce development and reentry — including director-level leadership at the Delaware Department of Labor. It was from this specific vantage point, seeing both the policy and the personal struggle, that he recognized a critical, recurring gap.
Traditional programs treated employment as the finish line. But a job placement alone doesn't restore identity, stability, or purpose. What was missing was wholeness — an approach that combines the strategic rigor of government with the empathy of community.
The Heritage Ascent Group was founded to be that missing piece: a Delaware nonprofit where returning citizens are met not with a checklist, but with a roadmap to leadership.
Our foundation rests on three pillars: strategic rigor, academic depth, and operational excellence — delivered by a team that has lived the work from every side of the system.