The Players volunteer leadership — the Red Coats — continued Giving Back Month with a visit to Angelwood, an organization that assists families in caring for the special needs of their loved ones.
Angelwood received a $10,000 grant after the Red Coats toured the facility and interacted with the participants in the programs.
The volunteers also presented a 15-passenger van to the agency.
Angelwood’s programs help children and adults with developmental disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, intellectual disabilities, Prader-Willi syndrome and spina bifida.
Upcoming Giving Back Month events include the annual charity announcement at TPC Sawgrass today and a visit to K9s for Warriors on Monday.
The money generated by The Players each year benefits more than 300 charities in Northeast Florida, totaling about $67.5 million in charitable giving since 1977.
UNF students have ‘play day’ with Daniel Kids
Students from the Department of Psychology at the University of North Florida had a play day with the children at Daniel Kids.
The nonprofit’s residential treatment program provides counseling and psychiatric treatment for those exhibiting the most severe symptoms of mental and emotional distress.
The event’s organizer, Jennifer Wolff, an assistant professor of psychology at UNF, said the play day was a community-based transformational learning opportunity.
After the play day, each student wrote a paper about the importance of play in child development, particularly how play benefits physical, cognitive and social development.
Sulzbacher receives $50,000 grant for meals program
The Sulzbacher Center received a $50,000 grant for its meals programs from the Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program. During the past year, Walmart and the foundation have given more than $82 million in cash and in-kind contributions to nonprofits and 43 million pounds of food to food banks in Florida.
BJ’s donates $30,000 to local food bank
Feeding Northeast Florida received a $30,000 grant from BJ’s Charitable Foundation to support agency capacity building and to provide more meals for 322,000 community members in need.
The donation is the second capacity building grant awarded by BJ’s to the local food bank, which works with nearly 180 local food pantries, shelters and meal programs in 17 Northeast Florida counties.
The BJ’s Charitable Foundation grant helps food banks pick up more donated products and distribute more perishable foods to community members in need — a crucial component in the fight to solve hunger.
BJ’s Wholesale Clubs has supported Feeding America’s nationwide network of food banks since 2011. Each of the 208 clubs has contributed perishable food totaling nearly 35 million pounds, which is the equivalent of 28 million meals.
The 2014 Hunger in America report shows 38,000 people in Northeast Florida are served each week by programs supported by the nonprofit.
To donate, volunteer or learn more about eliminating hunger, visit feedingnefl.org or call (904) 513-1333.
Winn-Dixie supports Wounded Warrior Project
Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie and two other chains, has launched the Wall of Honor community donation campaign.
Customer donations through Sunday will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project Independence Program.
The program pairs wounded veterans who rely on their families and caregivers with a specialized case manager to develop a personalized plan.
In many instances, for the cost of one month in an inpatient brain injury rehabilitation program, the program can provide a year’s worth of community-based support on a weekly basis to a wounded veteran.
Winn-Dixie customers can buy a $1 dedication card and write a message to their own military hero. The personal dedications will build a Wall of Honor at each store as a tribute to those who served and continue to serve.
Southeastern Grocers also designated Wounded Warrior Project as an official charity partner for 2016, enabling future programs and initiatives to increase awareness and support for the nonprofit at its stores.
Tournament a winner for Meal On Wheels
Aging True’s October events, Swing On By and the 25th annual Golf Classic, raised $87,686 to support Meals on Wheels. The program delivers more than 900 meals each day to homebound seniors and disabled residents in North Florida.
The Golf Classic, held Oct. 6, featured local and celebrity golfers, a cocktail reception and an awards ceremony.
This year, Aging True added Swing On By on Oct. 3 as a kickoff event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the golf tournament.
Jacksonville Jaguars punter Bryan Anger and Kelly Pray served as hosts of the event’s reception. Anger also served as honorary chair and a celebrity participant in the golf classic. Both events were at Hidden Hills Country Club.
Party raises $10,000 for Guardian ad Litem
The Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Florida’s First Coast received a $10,000 donation from The Gig — A Cause To Party.
Funds will support training of additional Guardian ad Litems for the nearly 1,200 neglected, abused and abandoned children in Duval, Clay and Nassau counties’ dependency court system.
Fifty-five families joined event founders Jill and Charlie Arnold and Brooke and Fernando Acosta-Rua at the party at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall. The event featured live music, dancing and food from Bold City Pops, TacoLu and M Shack.
The cost to train a certified Guardian ad Litem is $1,200 and requires 30 training hours. The 4th Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem program has nearly 600 volunteers.
To learn about the program, donate or become an advocate volunteer, visit galfirstcoast.org.
Be an ‘angel’ for a foster child
Family Support Services of North Florida is partnering with CenterState Bank and Watson Realty Corp. to collect holiday gifts for children in foster care, ages 10 and older.
The Be An Angel drive enables people and groups to donate gifts from local foster children’s wish lists.
Choose one of “Roberta’s Angels” at locations throughout Jacksonville, including all CenterState Bank branches, designated Watson Realty offices and Family Support Services’ office in San Marco.
Each angel ornament includes a foster child’s name, age, gender and holiday wish list. Addresses and hours for all angel locations are posted at beanangeljax.org. Donors also may visit the website to select a child and make a contribution online.
“Roberta’s Angels” is dedicated to the memory of Roberta Zipperer, a 30-year child advocate who created the Be An Angel program.
To ensure foster youth receive gifts in time for the holidays, donations should be dropped off at participating locations by Dec. 4. Gifts should be unwrapped and labeled with the child’s name and identification number found on the angel ornament.
For more information about Be An Angel or to receive a child’s name and wish list, email [email protected] or call (904) 265-8095.