by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
“In this economic environment, our resources are needed more than ever,” said Wyman Duggan, chair of the Project and Screening Committee of the Rotary Club of Jacksonville as he prepared to present this year’s Foundation grants.
Each year, the club accepts applications from agencies that provide services to the community and agencies seeking financial assistance to expand or continue to provide their services.
Duggan said this year applications increased by 50 percent with 48 organizations filing applications compared to 36 in 2008. After the applications were received, a 20-member committee reviewed the requests then conducted site visits before the final evaluation process began. This year the club awarded $70,065 to eight agencies in amounts ranging from $1,565 to $15,000.
“The committee was very innovative,” said Jimmy Kelly, director of development at daniel Memorial. “They are able to help several organizations and in this economy everything helps.”
The Rotary Foundation awarded daniel a $13,500 grant which Kelly pointed out couldn’t have come at a better time.
“Our van died two weeks ago,” he said. “In addition to the grant, the Rotary Club also helped us find a deal on a one-year-old van, which is wonderful. As much as we use our van to transport children to doctors’ appointments and school and religious functions, a new van would look like it was a year old in three months.
“From the oldest child-serving agency in Florida to the oldest Rotary Club in Florida, thank you.”
The Salvation Army received a $13,500 grant that will be used to renovate the kitchen at the child care center Downtown.
“The children we serve bring us a lot of joy and we provided 66,000 hot lunches and 7,000 healthy snacks at the center last year,” said Salvation Army Director of Development Tania Younts.
Hubbard House Development Director Jami Bueker said the Rotary grant will be used to purchase new appliances for the shelter for victims of abuse including five refrigerators, two freezers and two washing machines. Last year Hubbard House provided residential services to 850 men and women and their children and the outreach program touched more than 5,000 people.
“We’re very blessed to be a Rotary grant recipient this year,” she said.
The largest grant this year went to The Guardian Catholic Schools, which operates two private schools in at-risk communities on the Northside. The grant will be used to expand the library at St. Pius, said Guardian Executive Director Jim Selzer.
“We serve principally the African-American community and 90 percent of our students are non-Catholic,” said Selzer. “We don’t have a gymnasium. We have a library because literacy is the heart of education. Kids come to us from neighborhoods with significant educational challenges and we prepare them to graduate from the finest high schools in Jacksonville. This gift will serve children for generations.
“As I have said many times, it’s a pleasure to be in the presence of people who care. Rotary has done so much for the people of Jacksonville.”
Nancy Kelley, development director at First Coast Women’s Services, accepted on behalf of Barnabus International, which provides volunteer opportunities for active seniors. The Rotary grant will be used to purchase computers for the administrative office.
“Last year Barnabus facilitated 89 day-long mission trips that involved 324 seniors,” she said. “That meant a total of $151,000 worth of time donated to 18 nonprofit organizations.”
Duggan said this year only two applicants were funded to the full amount of their request and 40 other applications could not be funded. He urged club members to seek out service opportunities in the community and said his and the committee’s experience this year was worth the effort.
“It was a lot of work but it paid valuable rewards,” said Duggan.
2008-09 Rotary Club of Jacksonville Foundation grants
356-2466