from staff
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. E-mail 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.
Clinic serving community for 83 years
Hope Haven is a specialty outpatient clinic serving the Jacksonville community. A nonprofit organization since 1926, Hope Haven was originally established to care for children suffering from malnutrition and tuberculosis.
Over the years, Hope Haven adapted to meet the needs of the community. During the late 1940s the primary focus was treating children with polio when that epidemic swept the nation. With the consolidation of medical services in the 1980s Hope Haven made the decision to focus on outpatient care of children with developmental, psychological, behavioral and academic achievement problems, building upon a program started in 1973 to treat children with learning disabilities. Outpatient services were broadened to include diagnosis and treatment of children from birth to age twenty-one with disabilities.
Today the mission of Hope Haven is to provide excellence in educational, psychological and related therapeutic services for children, young adults and families with special needs.
Clients include those with learning challenges such as dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder developmental delays such as autism and Down syndrome and mental health issues that impact many young children including depression, anxiety and the repercussions of divorce. At Hope Haven, a team of pediatricians, psychologists, educational specialists, speech pathologists, occupational and physical therapists and tutors work together to provide comprehensive care to more than 5,000 families each year.
Hope Haven recently completed construction on a 15,000 square-foot expansion. As demand continues to grow for children with Down syndrome, autism, educational challenges and those needing speech, occupational and physical therapy, Hope Haven is now able to serve an even larger population of children with special needs.
Hope Haven’s decades of services to children and families can be attributed to two qualities: the willingness to change and the refusal to compromise. By responding to the changing needs of children and families while remaining committed to the values of its mission Hope Haven has maintained a tradition of community service. Since its modest beginnings almost a century ago, Hope Haven has touched the lives of countless families and continues to reach out to all who seek assistance.
For more information visit www.hope-haven.org.
Foundation donates $75k to 15 organizations
To celebrate the rebranding of 51 Winn-Dixie stores in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, the Winn-Dixie Foundation held a health fair at the Edgewood Avenue location and presented checks for $5,000 each to 15 nonprofit organizations.
The recipients were Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Florida, Jacksonville Pace, Junior Achievement of Florida’s First Coast, Family Support Services of North Florida, the Jacksonville Hospital Institute, Eastside Neighborhood resource Center, Beaver Street Enterprise Resource Center, Childrens Miracle Network, ICARE, Jacksonville Symphony Association, Hubbard House, Community Rehabilitation Center, New Heights of Northeast Florida, Child Cancer Fund and Girl Scouts of Gateway Council.
The Winn-Dixie Foundation was created in 1944 and makes grants to local nonprofit organizations focused on hunger, women and children, education and health. It is funded each year by the Winn-Dixie Charity Classic presented by Wachovia.
Record setting food drive
Setting a new record, CIT employees donated nearly 27,000 pounds of food to the City Rescue Mission, enough food to feed homeless people more than 20,000 meals.
“We are honored to receive such an incredible donation,” said Bill Duguid, chief operating officer at City Rescue Mission. “The employees at CIT have gone above and beyond with their kind contribution. We are overjoyed to receive support from such an extraordinary team of people.”
CIT’s annual food drive included an internal competition to see which team could collect the most food for City Rescue Mission. This year, the firm’s 277 employees collected a total of 26,947 pounds of food, more than 4,000 pounds beyond the mark set in 2008.
In addition to hosting annual food drives for the City Rescue Mission since 2006, CIT prepares and serves meals for homeless people at City Rescue Mission during the company’s “Global Employee Volunteer Month.” CIT employees also frequently participate in other projects at City Rescue Mission such as repainting the mission’s dining room.
City Rescue Mission is a nonprofit, faith-based organization that has provided help to the homeless and needy in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida since 1946. In addition to providing emergency services they offer life-changing programs like the New Day Workforce and LifeBuilders programs which help people get off the streets and back into society.
For more information about CIT visit www.cit.com. For more information about City Rescue Mission visit www.crmjax.org.
Scavenger hunt for charity
Henderson Haven, Inc. is partnering with Adamec Harley Davidson, Coca-Cola, Auto Zone and Bubba Burgers for the “Ride for Independence Bike Run Scavenger Hunt” Aug. 8 at Adamec Harley Davidson/Buell on Baymeadows Road.
Straying a bit from the typical poker run concept, bikers will instead be asked to go out into the community and look for a list of items given to them on the day of the run. With registration at 9 a.m. and the ride starting at 10 a.m. the riders will be given three hours to collect all their items and return back to Adamec. Lunch and entertainment will be provided while judges determine the winners. Prozes will be awarded based on the number and creativity of items collected. All proceeds from the event will go to directly benefit the individuals served by Henderson Haven, Inc.
Early registration ($20 for bike and rider, $5 per passenger) for the event are being taken now at www.HendersonHaven.org or by calling 264-2522 and choosing option 5. Registrations will be taken on the day of the event as well.
Henderson Haven is a non-profit 501c(3) corporation that has spent the past six years providing support and advocacy services to both children and adults with developmental disabilities. The mission is to ensure that these individuals, despite their perceived capabilities, are given the right to design a life of their own choosing within their own communities. Henderson Haven believes that through one-on-one care and support they can give these individuals the tools they need to learn to live independently instead of being forced into group homes and other segregated environments.
AT&T supporting Reed Educational Campus
With the help of AT&T, dozens of girls from underprivileged areas of Northwest Jacksonville will continue to experience the benefits of educational and social guidance with the expansion of the Reed Educational Campus, an initiative of the National Council of Negro Women’s Child Watch Partnership of Jacksonville, Florida, Inc. State Sen. Tony Hill, Gertrude H. Peele, executive director of the Child Watch Partnership of Jacksonville and other community leaders participated in the ground breaking ceremony and the official donation of $50,000 by AT&T.
“Every day you hear devastating stories about the condition of our economy but today’s donation from AT&T shows there are still responsible and giving companies willing to support the good of our nation even in tough times,” said Hill. “The Reed Educational Center is an invaluable part of this community and today’s ground breaking will help strengthen its roots and expand its services.”
The Reed Educational Campus provides a diverse year-round learning community and serves as a home away from home for girls between the ages of nine and 12. Originally a neighborhood-based reading program the campus has grown to include learning experiences in arts, basic computer skills, health, language arts, math, nutrition, physical fitness, reading, science and sustainable living. The $50,000 donation will provide for an expansion of the campus to include an “urban garden,” food court and a pantry for the campus kitchen where the students can discover the benefits of eating a nutritious diet.
“With the support of the National Council of Negro Women’s Child Watch Partnership of Jacksonville, I have watched the Reed Educational Campus grow from meager beginnings to a beautiful safe-haven for our community’s young girls,” said Peele. “The pantry that AT&T’s donation will allow us to build will not only provide a warm meal for many of these girls but also teach them the importance of healthy, balanced eating habits. We couldn’t be more thankful and hope this donation will allow us to help serve even more deserving young ladies.”
AT&T Florida President Marshall Criser added, “The National Council of Negro Women’s Child Watch Partnership of Jacksonville provides the young women of this community with the educational tools and support to shape their future. The campus pantry, urban garden and food court will enhance those efforts by providing nutritional education to students, parents and caregivers. We are literally planting the seeds to build a stronger Jacksonville. AT&T’s continued support of the Jacksonville community through the expansion of the Reed Educational Campus serves as a positive example of how communities and businesses can work together to bring about positive change.”