by David Chapman
Staff Writer
A day of giving for Meninak
The Meninak Club of Jacksonville celebrated “90 Years of Giving” in charitable fashion Monday, when the civic organization awarded its annual Charity Project Award of $30,000 to one local nonprofit organization.
This year’s award went to the Youth Crisis Center and its Executive Director Tom Patania, who thanked the more than 120 Meninak members and guests for the honor. Since being founded by former City Council member Gwen Yates in 1974, the Youth Crisis Center has been one of the busiest runaway shelters for children in the country, serving more than 1,600 youth each year.
“We really do appreciate all that you do,” said Patania, in his address to the crowd.
The money will go toward fixing a leaking roof in the facility, said Patania, which has caused numerous problems since series of rainstorms in May caused it to “leak like a sieve.”
For the first time he could remember in his five years serving on the awarding committee, Charity Project Award Chair Mark Hand told the crowd it was a unanimous decision to award it to YCC. But, it wasn’t because other finalists – the Boy Scouts of America North Florida Council and I.M. Sulzbacher Center – or other 17 applicants weren’t worthy, though. Instead, it was a 15-year-old boy who told the group his story of a broken home, how the YCC provided him with assistance and ultimately helped reunite him with his father in Oregon that swayed the committee.
“Just as the Youth Crisis Center gave help where none was available, Meninak is providing help where none is available,” said Hand, referring to the civic organization’s credo.
While Meninak President Bunky Johnson referred to the award announcement as the “main event,” the undercard of Monday’s meeting provided insight from numerous sources on the assistance the organization provides to both local students and other organizations.
On top of a brief organizational history provided by Hank Haynes, Jack Morgan,CEO of the Red Cross of Northeast Florida, took time to thank the members for their time and effort in the annual Volunteer Life Saving Corps Ocean Swim, now dubbed the Meninak Ocean Swim. It’s been a special relationship formed over the years, said Morgan, that has helped ensure the event goes on.
“Without your support, I truly believe this could have been one of those events that went by the wayside (over time),” said Morgan.
In addition, Isabelle Spence and Inyam Owette talked about Meninak’s other big annual contribution, the annual presentation of scholarships of $5,000 to five area students. To date, the organization has given 65 such scholarships for $325,000.
The culmination of the annual Charity Project award combined with the words of thanks from other Meninak-provided assistance left Johnson with a few all-encompassing words regarding the organization’s effort.
“This is what we do,” said Johnson. “This is what we’re all about.”
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