As our community continues to face a tight economy and shrinking budgets, the Daily Record has established this page that will each week chronicle the efforts of local nonprofit organizations. Bailey Publishing & Communications invites all members of the local nonprofit community to submit news, announcements, success stories and any other information they feel would be of interest to our readers. Email to: [email protected].
We also encourage our readers to become more aware of the needs of these worthy organizations as they try to continue to provide valuable services with reduced resources.
Christmas party for children Dec. 15
Thanks to donations from Jacksonville companies and residents, new toys will be given to as many as 8,000 Jacksonville children in need at 9 a.m. Dec. 15 at the Osborn Center.
The event is part of The Children's Christmas Party in Jacksonville, a nonprofit organization founded in December 1999 by Travis and Margaret Storey.
The nonprofit's mission is to provide toys for Jacksonville's children who otherwise might not receive toys for Christmas.
In its 14th year, this year's goal is to collect enough funds for volunteers to hand out as many as 25,000 new toys and at least 600 wheeled items — such as bikes, wagons and scooters — to be randomly awarded at the event.
A free helmet will be provided to each bike winner.
Each child will receive up to three toys of his or her choosing, plus a bag of novelty toys.
Free rulers also will be handed out with the message of "Stay Smart. Stay in School."
For more information about the event, visit ccpoj.org.
JM Family supports food bank
JM Family Enterprises Inc. and its 3,800 associates have completed the company's annual Fall Fill-Up food drive and collected more than 15,000 pounds of food and $56,000 for 10 nonprofits across North Florida.
JM Family and its subsidiaries hold companywide food drives every year to help fight hunger in the communities where its associates live and work.
Locally, associates from JM Family and subsidiary Southeast Toyota Distributors collected canned food and monetary contributions for the equivalent of 45,026 pounds of food for Second Harvest North Florida, a nonprofit that provides grocery products to partner agencies in 18 North Florida counties.
Tree of Life ceremony Thursday
The lighting of the 2012 Tree of Life, featuring lights that represent the more than 82,000 adults and children Community Hospice has served in its 34-year history, is scheduled Thursday at the Earl B. Hadlow Center for Caring.
Free and open to the public, the evening's festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the lighting scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Refreshments, carriage rides and holiday entertainment will be offered until 7 p.m.
The lighting of the tree also will include a candlelight service of remembrance to celebrate the lives of loved ones who have died.
Attendees are invited to bring a photo of their loved one to display on the memory tables.
Parking is available in the Kmart parking lot south of Zaxby's at 9600 San Jose Blvd.
Complimentary shuttle service begins at 5 p.m. to and from the event.