Nearly 500 senior citizens received unexpected gifts this holiday season as a result of the Jacksonville Bar Association’s 20th annual Holiday Project that casts lawyers, law firms and law enforcement in the role of Santa Claus.
Most of us expect the holiday season to be a time for love, laughter, friends, and family. Many of our neighbors, however, do not have this expectation. Together with Meals on Wheels/Urban Jacksonville, area businesses and the sheriff’s office, the Jacksonville Bar Association sponsors senior citizens who would not otherwise receive gifts during the holidays. The project matches attorneys with seniors, resulting in a happy event both for seniors and attorneys.
“We all came away from the visit with lifted spirits,” said Patricia Mitchell, a sole practitioner in Ponte Vedra Beach. She and her two children delivered gifts to their senior citizen four days before Christmas. (See Photo attached).
Jarrod Turner of Bombardier Capital Group personally delivered his gifts to a couple, Lillie and Howard Cole. Jarrod found the experience “very humbling and touching.”
“When I had contacted Mrs. Cole before I stopped by, she had stated that Mr. Cole was disabled. She did not mention her condition. When I arrived, Mr. Cole answered the door, and I discovered Mrs. Cole was bedridden and required a ventilator to assist in her breathing. These kind and extremely nice people would touch any heart. These people are angels. This small, small token visit to them enlarges the soul. I am glad that I had an opportunity and hope that we can do more for them and others in the future,” he said.
Holiday Project coordinators Allison H. Hauser and Sonya H. Hoener, of Marks Gray, P.A., along with dozens of volunteers, sponsors, and contributors said the 2001 project was an unqualified success.
“We reached an unprecedented number of seniors this year,” said Hauser. “This is a very small, but extremely meaningful action that our profession takes to brighten the holidays for a few of our many neighbors who are barely subsisting.” This year, the JBA received the names of 498 senior citizens from Shantell Laguna, Meals on Wheels program coordinator for urban Jacksonville.
Past chairs include: Tracy K. Arthur, Senior Counsel with Rayonier of Fernandina Beach, Corey Hodak, and Carla Miller. Ms. Miller chaired the project for the first five years. “To see this project grow from 75 senior citizens in its first year to nearly 500 gives me a great sense of joy,” she said.
The work for the project begins long before December 25. Meals on Wheels provides a list of potential recipients to the Project coordinators in early December. Bar Association members and others who sponsor the seniors are provided with a packet in early November identifying their seniors and instructing the sponsors on how to contact their seniors. Sponsors write to their seniors in November. The seniors in turn identify desired gifts, the sponsors purchase them, wrap them, and then arrange for delivery before Christmas.
The project depends heavily on support from area organizations. For instance, Brian Vogt, the manager of Southeast Legal Copy, donated all copying services. The Florida Coastal School of Law Alumni Association and professional staff sponsored more than 100 senior citizens. Susanne Weisman, a Florida Coastal graduate now serving as law clerk to the Honorable Judge Timothy Corrigan, coordinated the project for the law school.
The Jacksonville Sheriff s Office also plays a key role. The Holiday Project encourages sponsors to deliver gifts themselves, but when sponsors are unable to make the deliveries, the Sheriff’s Office goes to work. This year, Sergeant Gary Mericle and Officer Vanessa Bass coordinated delivery of more than 160 gift packages to nearly 80 senior citizens. They had the help of fellow officers: Troy Blum; Jan Goodman; Greg Grant; Duane Howard; Denise Hughes; Victor Jefferson; Chris Johnson; Joe Lee-, Phyllis McNeely; Willie Perry; Shawn Puri; Roscoe Simmons; Dave Starrett; Billy Taylor; Jerry Thomas; Terry Weaver; and Henry Williams.
The Holiday Project committee members who made the project happen are: Tracy K. Arthur; Jeptha F. Barbour; Patricia D. Barksdale; Denise E. Barnett; Carolyn Blue; Martha D. W. Bolton; Michael T. Bowlus; Kimberly A. Cannon; Rebecca B. Creed; Michael T. Debski; Robert Ellis; Latasha Garrison; Jacqueline Green; Miriam Krestul Greenhut; Ruth Ann Hepler; Corrine C. Hodak; Gregory D. Holland; Corey Hodak; Debbie A. Lee-Clark; Matthew L. Lines; Glen A. McClary; Matthew N. Posgay; Amy L. Warpinski; and Susanne R. Weisman.
These law firms, corporations, and individuals served as sponsors: Akerman, Senterfitt & Eidson, P.A.; Troy Andrade; Barry B. Ansbacher; Tracy K. Arthur; Lloyd T. Asbury, P.A.; Jim Bailey and employees at Bailey Publishing, Inc.; Laura Beckman of the U.S. District Court; Berg & Associates, P.A.; Sara Bohr; Bedell, Dittmar, DeVault, Pillans & Coxe, P.A.; Ronald Bloom; Boyd & Jenerette, P.A.; Brant, Abraham, Reiter & McCormick, P.A.; Mike Brooks; CSX; Lisa Call; Mark E. Calvin; Chili’s; The Honorable Karen K. Cole; Cole, Stone, Stoudemire, Morgan & Dore, P.A.; Colomer USA; Jean Downing; Edwards & Cohen, P.A.; Caroline Emery; Duke Fagan; Diana S. Farhat; Farrell & Gasparo; Bruce Feifer of Farah & Farah, P.A.; Jay C. Floyd; Foley & Lardner; Gobelman, Love, Gavin, Blazs & Mathis, P.A.; Hedrick, Dewberry, Regan & Durant, P.A.; Corrine Heller; The Hepler Law Firm; Linda Hill of Attorney Outsource, Inc.; Corinne C. Hodak, P.A.; Christopher J. Hurst, P.A.; Sandra W. Johnson, P.A.; Millie Kanyan of Watson Realty, Inc.; Law Office of James T. Keenan; Kubicki, Draper; Lewis, Longman & Walker, P.A.; Marks Gray, P.A.; Blane G. McCarthy; McGuire, Woods, Battle & Booth, P.A.; Jodi A. Miles, P.A.; Miller & Skinner, P.A.; Michael P. Milton; Patricia Mitchell; William C.A. Moulder, P.A.; Sean L. Mulhall of Milton, Leach, D’Andrea & Ritter, P.A.; O’Rourke & Griggs, P.A.; The State and Federal Public Defender’s Offices; Purcell, Flanagan & Hay, P.A.; Rahaim, Watson, Dearing, Berry & Moore, P.A.; Roberts & Reiter, P.A.; Rogers, Towers, Bailey, Jones & Gay, P.A.; Saalfield, Coulson, Shad & Jay, P.A.; Jeanine Sasser; The Honorable H.E. Schlesinger and staff-, Michael S. Sharrit; Schutt Humphries, P.A.; Thomas F. Slater; Smith, Hulsey & Busey, P.A.; Spohrer, Wilner, Maxwell, P.A.; Gail L. Stafford; Laura Starrett; Michael P. Sullivan, P.A.; Thomas D. Treece, P.A.; United Parcel Service; David W. Vander Hoff of the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office; Volpe, Bajalia, Wickes & Rogerson; Warpinski, Ferrante & Kellogg, P.A.; Melina Buncome-Williams; Winn Dixie; and The Yazgi Law Firm.