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Daryl Hall and John Oates will donate a portion of ticket sales to the American Red Cross to help people affected by Hurricane Irma when they perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Veterans Memorial Arena.
“Hopefully our music will bring a small respite from the damages suffered during the hurricane, and more importantly, I’m hopeful that our contribution to the American Red Cross can help those in need,” Oates said in a news release.
After a week’s delay because of Hurricane Irma, the Cathedral Arts Project’s ARTS Ignite! after-school classes began at 19 Duval County public schools and community centers in Jacksonville.
The organization is the leading nonprofit provider of comprehensive instruction in the visual and performing arts for elementary and middle school students in Duval County.
During the 2016-17 school year, CAP provided programming to 1,033 students, due in part to a $50,000 grant from the Hearst Foundations.
The grant, which was Hearst’s first in Jacksonville in more than a decade, provided general program support for after-school programs.
The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. Preference is given to arts education programs that fill the void of arts programming in kindergarten through 12th grade.
Among youth who participate in a year or more of CAP programs:
Since kicking off its third biennial Jacksonville HELPS (Homeless Students Empowered through Leadership, Partnership & Service) initiative in July, teenagers in the I'm A Star Foundation have raised $31,000 for homeless students.
The teens raised funds through a celebrity basketball game, a GoFundMe campaign and private donations.
In a final push to reach its $50,000 goal, the group will host a GoFundMe drive on Facebook and Instagram LIVE from 6 to 8 p.m. today.
Join the live stream at facebook.com/ImAStarFoundation), on Instagram at @imastarjax, or call (904) 924-0756 to pledge donations.
The GoFundMe campaign will end Monday.
Learn to Read Jacksonville is celebrating Adult Education and Family Literacy Week with a Facebook takeover.
The event is one of several planned in September to highlight the organization’s work to improve adult literacy in Duval County.
The takeover is set to happen at noon Saturday.
For one minute, participants across the city will livestream themselves reading a passage from their favorite book, filling newsfeeds with stories.
An estimated 180,000 adults in Duval County lack the reading skills necessary to earn a living wage.
For 48 years, Learn to Read has been working to improve that by offering free classes to adults 16 and older in Duval County through private tutoring, small group classes and access to Learn to Read computer labs.
Learn to Read also offers courses in math, financial and medical literacy and employment training.
Dedicated tutors help students improve literacy and skills, which help change their lives, families and communities.
In 2016, Learn to Read served 550 students with 14,517 hours of study completed. The Florida Literacy Coalition named Learn to Read the recipient of its 2016 Excellence in Education award.
For more information about Learn to Read and volunteer opportunities, visit learntoreadjax.org or call (904) 238-9000.
The Memorial Park Association has established a recovery fund to repair damage caused by Hurricane Irma.
Storm surge brought several feet of water from the St. Johns River into the park, which caused significant damage to the lawn, benches and historic balustrade. The flooding did not damage the park’s “Spiritualized Life” statue.
Money donated to the fund will support park cleanup and recovery efforts. Any additional funds will support ongoing park maintenance, beautification and improvement projects.
“Hurricane Irma may have damaged the park’s features, but it could never destroy the spirit of community that this park represents,” said Percy Rosenbloom III, president of the Memorial Park Association, in a news release.
Donations may be made online at memparkjax.org/donate.
Memorial Park is at 1620 Riverside Ave., between Margaret Street and Memorial Park Drive in Riverside near Five Points. Designed by the Olmsted Brothers and dedicated Dec. 25, 1924, it is the only park in the state dedicated to the 1,220 Floridians who lost their lives in service during World War I.
Yoga 4 Change was awarded first place and $15,000 in the V-WISE Innovation Cup.
The national competition, sponsored by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, was open to female veterans and active duty military.
Yoga 4 Change founder and Executive Director Kathryn Thomas is a medically retired Navy pilot who found yoga to be valuable to her personal recovery and recognized the potential for trauma-informed yoga to help others.
The $15,000 will be used for program funding.
Yoga 4 Change has partnered with more than 80 organizations since its inception and has impacted the lives of more than 10,000 people since January.
The curriculum is delivered by qualified yoga teachers who lead 21 classes per week, 50 weeks a year.
Services are provided regardless of a student’s ability to pay.
The organization’s mission is to heal and empower veterans, incarcerated people, vulnerable youth and those dealing with substance abuse by providing a purpose-driven yoga curriculum.
Learn more at y4c.org.
