At the fifth annual Art of Success gala on May 5 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla, patrons will have a chance to dine, dance and bid the night away. Meanwhile, their money will be hard at work for the homeless and ex-convicts of San Diego County. A nonprofit program called Second Chance, the beneficiary of the gala, is the city’s guiding force for those on a pathway toward reentry into the employment market — and it’s no small job. “The first week [of instruction in the program] is geared to test their willingness to find work,” said Second Chance president and co-founder Scott Silverman. “Many will agree they have never dealt with anything but a prison sentence after spending their entire life lying, cheating and manipulating. It’s pretty powerful.” Silverman has been running the program out of the San Diego Rescue Mission for the past 12 years. In that time, more than 5,000 people have graduated from the program that consists of monthly, four-week, 150-hour refresher courses. In addition, the program hosted a job fair in Balboa Park on March 30, offering employer information and individual resume critiques by human resource professionals. Silverman said he expects as many as 70 will turn out for the next indoctrination and close to half will complete the exercises that offer everything from resume help to navigating the Internet. On average, about 70 percent find jobs. “We (the taxpayers) can spend $60,000 to keep someone in prison or we can help them find a job to earn $20,000 to $30,000,” he said. “If they haven’t worked for sometime, they’ll probably need to start all over again, but the only thing they need to control is their attitude.” Silverman can recall many success stories of past graduates, but a favorite is one about a woman named Angie. “She went to work two years ago at Vons, stocking shelves,” he said. “Later, she was selected for butcher’s training. Now, she’s only one of four women in San Diego County serving as a butcher.” Because of her achievement, Angie was nominated to the Second Chance board of directors. In effect, she’s now one of Silverman’s bosses. “The woman who answers our office phone was involved in a bank robbery when she was 14,” Silverman added. “Forty percent of the staff are graduates from the program.” Second Chance has been so successful, in fact, that Silverman and his staff are now seeking to improve the lives of others in the community. “We’ve expanded with programs for juveniles and veterans to help them make the transition into the community.” he said. “Once employed, young people are encouraged to go back to school.” Silverman hopes the gala will provide some much-needed support. “The state of California doesn’t invest in us,” he said. “We do it with the private sector.” The event, which includes an auction to benefit the Second Chance program, will begin at 6 p.m. at the museum, 700 Prospect St., and will be attended by District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, Police Chief Bill Lansdowne and Sheriff Bill Gore. WHAT: Art of Success gala WHEN: May 5 at 6 p.m. WHERE: Museum of Contemporary Art La Jolla, 700 Prospect St.