Highlighting Jacksonville’s Philanthropic Community
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 believe 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.
Train ride benefits charities
The Eighth Annual CSX Charity Train Ride raised more than $320,000 to benefit seven charities, with Daniel receiving $25,000 for programs that benefit the abused, neglected and emotionally troubled children it serves.
The CSX team picked up paid passengers at the Osborn Center the afternoon of May 22 and treated them to a ride aboard the company’s historic passenger cars, which are reserved only for facility inspections and special events throughout the year. Guests were treated to a dinner and entertainment that included dancing and karaoke as they rode to South Georgia and back.
Train passengers are solicited by the charities that benefit from the ride with CSX underwriting all expenses for the trip, dinner and entertainment so that all funds raised directly benefit the charitable organizations.
“We are so thrilled to have the support of CSX for the fourth year in a row,” said Jimmy Kelly, Daniel’s director of development. “During these difficult economic times, donations like this are so helpful and appreciated, and the funds really go a long way in helping the children at Daniel.”
Crawl for a cause
Join the Pawfessionals, a young professionals group supporting the Jacksonville Humane Society for the PAWzzle Crawl 2-6 p.m. Saturday. Participants will start at One Ocean, then visit Ragtime, Sunny Caribbee and Sun Dog for discounted cocktails and a puzzle piece. Those completing the puzzle qualify for a drawing to win a one-night stay at One Ocean Resort Hotel & Spa with a pet ($75 pet amenity included). Wrap up the day with music, free appetizers and cocktails (one per participant) at One Ocean. Participants receive goodie bags, signature mug, puzzle pieces, map and drink coupons for participating bars.
The PAWzzle Crawl is sponsored by One Ocean, Cox Radio and The Florida Times-Union/Jacksonville.com.
Tickets are $20 per person and are available at pawzzlecrawl.eventbrite.com.
New website for New Town
The New Town Success Zone coalition of 30 nonprofit organizations under the direction of the Jacksonville Children’s Commission has launched its website, www.newtownsuccesszone.com. The website will feature a page that details updated news about the project as well as a link to The Community Foundation’s donation page, where supporters of New Town can make donations to the JaxKids Fund.
New Town Success Zone was conceived after Mayor John Peyton and a group of government and community leaders visited the Harlem Children’s Zone in 2007. The neighborhood selected, New Town, includes Edward Waters College, S.P. Livingston Elementary School and Eugene Butler Middle School. It is bounded by Myrtle Avenue, Kings Road and Beaver Street. The focus of the effort is a community development model designed to support children from birth through advanced education, whether college, technical school training or admission to military service.
Support includes programs such as early learning, access to medical care, after-school programs and housing initiatives. Recently, New Town Success Zone organized a community health assessment, in which residents were trained to conduct porch-to-porch research on health issues affecting the community.
“We’re excited about the new website because it allows us the flexibility to tell our story as well as provide people who want to be supportive to donate,” said Irvin “PeDro” Cohen, project manager for New Town Success Zone. “We will be updating the site’s news section frequently with additional information about programs and achievements.”
Summer toiletry drive at Sulzbacher Center
Monday marked the official start of summer and the Sulzbacher Center is kicking off its annual summer toiletry drive. The center is in need of soap, shampoo, deodorant and other basic toiletries for the hundreds of homeless men, women and children who live at the Sulzbacher Center.
Summer travelers are encouraged to collect travel-sized toiletries during their vacations and donate them to the Sulzbacher Center. Volunteers are also needed to conduct toiletry drives at businesses and civic groups.
The Sulzbacher Center needs donations of the following items in travel or regular sizes: soap, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, deodorant, bug spray, sunscreen, toothpaste, toothbrushes and lip balm. Volunteers interested in conducting drives in their workplaces, neighborhoods, clubs and places of worship can download promotional fliers by visit-ing the center’s website, www.sulzbachercenter.org, and clicking on How You Can Help.
For more information, contact Allison Vega at 394-8082 or [email protected].
Sulzbacher Center provides the opportunity for homeless men, women and children to achieve a better life. The center’s comprehensive services include street outreach, daily meals, safe shelter, case management support, job placement assistance, medical, dental and mental health care as well as scattered-site housing. Every day, the Sulzbacher Center is home to more than 300 homeless members of the community, many of whom are children.
Blueprint for Leadership graduates class
The 2010 HandsOn Jacksonville Blueprint for Leadership group graduated June 16 at The University Club. It is the 21st class to have completed the Blueprint for Leadership program. Lynn Mora, Blueprint for Leadership director, and Judith A.M. Smith, president and CEO of HandsOn Jacksonville, hosted the graduation.
Each year, the Blueprint for Leadership class develops a service project. This year, the members chose a renovation project at MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation. They transformed the Teen Room at the center as well as the outdoor courtyard.
They painted the Teen Room walls and donated new furniture and decorative items to make the room an inviting place for teens to gather. They also laid sod in the outdoor courtyard and planted shrubbery to give the space a more defined look. They then hosted an open house to showcase the center to the local community. Additionally, they raised $2,000, which they presented to the MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation.
The graduating 2010 Blueprint for Leadership members are Glenell Aucoin, STANDUP For Kids; Lee Bremer, Wachovia Bank, A Wells Fargo Company; Todney Bynes, CTI Resource Management Services; T.J. Cole, student at Florida State College at Jacksonville; Audra Craig-Walker, Everest University; Leah Donelan, Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida; Nancy Federico, Deutsche Bank; Thomas Flowers, University of Phoenix; Maria Giampaglia, Citi Cards; Gary Goldberg, Harden & Associates; Jay Howanitz, Spohrer & Dodd P.L; LaTonya Lockhart, HandsOn Jacksonville; Kevin Monahan, University of North Florida; Ray Oliver, Citi Cards; Harnish Parikh, Prudential; Nisa Roberts, The Jacksonville Bank; Trina Banks Session, HandsOn Jacksonville; Michael Skowfoe, Wells Fargo; Jessica Smith, Auto Body Speed Shop USA; Michele Snow, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office; Chester Spellman, Project S.O.S. Inc.; Dave Strupp, Jax Nonprofit News Group Inc.: and Corvus Whitaker, Operation New Hope.
University of Phoenix was the host site sponsor for this year’s group and Fazzini’s Coffee & Tea sponsored refreshments. Citi provided a scholarship donation. Donations for the project at MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation were made by Alpha Landscaping, Blue Fish Restaurant and Oyster Bar, Lacy Boswell, Bushor’s Tree Surgeons,Inc., Casbah Café, Chew Restaurant, Chey Corporation, Citi, Citi employees, Roger J. Dodd Lawyers PC, Annelies Dygraff, Marsha Hatcher, Jay Howanitz, The Jacksonville Bank, Lowe’s, Matthew’s Restaurant, Pastiche, Spohrer & Dodd P.L., Sunbelt Rentals and The Wells & Drew Companies.
For more than 20 years, HandsOn Jacksonville has mobilized, equipped and deployed leaders as interns on area nonprofit boards. Blueprint for Leadership was launched in 1988 as Project Blueprint in response to a Kellogg Foundation study which indicated a disparity between the percentage of income given by minorities to nonprofit organizations and the representation of minorities on governing boards of the same organizations.
“Project Blueprint” was created by HandsOn Jacksonville to identify, recruit, train and place minorities on nonprofit boards. The program experienced success and in 1997, HandsOn Jacksonville broadened the mission locally and it became known as Blueprint for Leadership. Since the program’s inception in 1988, more than 800 people have graduated from Blueprint for Leadership and have interned on more than 50 local nonprofit boards of directors.