The Salvation Army of Northeast Florida is being led by new area commanders, Majs. Rob and Janine Vincent.
The Vincents have been officers in The Salvation Army for 26 years and have served in 12 appointments in the southern territory.
After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, they moved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to lead the long-term recovery effort. They have also served in Nashville and Memphis, Tenn.
In 2013, Rob Vincent was appointed to the Georgia Divisional Headquarters as the divisional secretary.
As the Northeast Florida area commanders, the Vincents will provide leadership for The Salvation Army’s programs in six counties.
The Vincents have been married for 29 years and have four children. Two are officers in The Salvation Army, another son works for the organization in Clarksville, Tenn., and their daughter lives with her husband in Savannah, Ga. They also have a 9-year-old Yorkie named Buddy.
Paxon grad named Youth Achiever by Jim Moran Foundation
Kaia Little, a 2015 graduate of Paxon School for Advanced Studies, was selected by The Jim Moran Foundation as this year’s North Florida African-American Youth Achiever.
The award includes a four-year, needs-based scholarship to Florida State University.
Each year, a Duval County high school senior who qualifies for financial aid and has received admission to FSU is chosen for the scholarship established by Moran, an automobile dealership executive.
Little was a member of the National Honor Society and chair of her church’s youth council. She also volunteered at a local hospital and feeding a program.
Little interned last summer at Johnson & Johnson through the National Society for Black Engineers. She plans to major in industrial engineering at FSU.
To learn more about Youth Achievers, visit the Honorees section of jimmoranfoundation.org.
Bank of America collects $12,000 for STEM camps
The Bank of America Charitable Foundation awarded Communities In Schools of Jacksonville a $12,000 grant to support the nonprofit’s annual summer STEM camps at Ed White High School and A. Philip Randolph Academies of Technology.
Representatives from the bank’s Women in Technology program visited the students at camp, encouraging group activities while reinforcing the principles of STEM: science, technology, engineering and math.
Bank of America partners with Communities In Schools, supporting the dropout prevention organization for six consecutive years, said Steve Gilbert, CEO of the nonprofit.
For more information, visit CISJax.org.
Advanced Disposal, World Changers helping seniors
Advanced Disposal, an integrated environmental services company, is supporting World Changers of Nassau County with the donation of 17 roll-off containers for home-renovation projects.
More than 230 World Changers volunteers worked this month on 27 projects in Nassau County, including home renovations, beach cleanup and projects at the Egans Creek Greenway. They painted houses and repaired roofs, siding, windows and doors.
All of the projects were to improve substandard housing issues affecting clients of the Nassau County Council on Aging. Nearly 20 percent of the county’s residents are 65 or older, said council Executive Director Janice Ancrum.
In addition, volunteers from 23 local churches of all denominations delivered lunch daily to work sites.
Founded in 1974 by local citizens, the Council on Aging of Nassau County works to maintain and enrich the lives of older people in Nassau County.
Annual Red Cross marathon swim Saturday
More than 40 Jacksonville Beach volunteer lifesavers will compete Saturday in the 82nd annual Meninak Ocean Marathon Swim.
Swimmers will enter the water at 10 a.m. at the Ponte Vedra Inn and cross the finish line after 11 a.m. 3.5 miles north at the Life Saving Station at Jacksonville Beach.
The American Red Cross was established in Jacksonville to provide relief during the Great Fire of 1901.
In 1912, the American Red Cross Life Saving Corps began its commitment to keep swimmers safe at Jacksonville Beach. The ocean swim competition was introduced in 1933.
B&C Financial Advisors is the title sponsor for the event.