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. Email 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.
Holland & Knight awards $60,000 in grants
On Aug. 8, the Jacksonville office of Holland & Knight announced $60,000 in grants to 11 community organizations assisting at-risk children.
The lawyers and staff in the firm’s Jacksonville office contributed the money during the past year as a part of the Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation’s Public and Charitable Service Local Donor Advised Fund, a fundraising campaign that was initiated in each of the firm’s 18 offices throughout the U.S.
The office’s Committee for the Public Good prepared and distributed grant applications and then met over three weeks to determine which organizations would receive the awards.
Local organizations who will be receiving funds from the firm include Angelwood, Community Connections, Downtown Ecumenical Services Council, Girls on the Run of Northeast Florida, Grand Park Athletic Association, ICare Restorative Justice Program, Jewish Family & Community Services, Mental Health America, Museum of Science & History, R.V. Daniels Elementary School and Waste Not, Want Not.
“The past three years have been devastating to the entire nonprofit sector and just as we were beginning to see a ray of sunshine, the most recent stock market drop has left us wondering if we are headed into another recession,” said Greg Frazier, the chief development officer of Community Connections of Jacksonville, a local charity that has been operating for 100 years to support women and children struggling with homelessness and related hardships.
“In the midst of the chaos, Holland & Knight’s unexpected generous donation brings hope for the future,” he said.
“The Holland & Knight family has long been associated with helping people in the communities where we practice. We are incredibly proud and excited to be able to support these organizations which are near to our hearts and vital to our community,” said Holland & Knight Partner Suzanne Judas, who serves as chair of the Committee for the Public Good.
1,400 backpacks donated
Children in child welfare received backpacks filled with schools supplies Aug. 6 following a morning of carnival games and snacks at the Foster Parent Training and Back-to-School Fun Day hosted by Family Support Services of North Florida.
A pizza lunch rounded out the activities provided to foster and caregiver families in Duval, Nassau and Clay counties.
Children in foster care or living with kinship caregivers participated in games of skill, athletic challenges and other activities while foster parents and caregivers attended a training session focusing on education.
Teens in care participated in a special program of life-skills training and activities, including an exercise to self-identify individual skills and needs.
Employees from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida and Henry Schein Inc. donated more than 1,400 backpacks filled with school supplies for children in the child welfare system.
Children in care unable to attend the event will receive backpacks through their family services counselors before school begins.
Eat pizza to support Girls Inc.
California Pizza Kitchen at the St. Johns Town Center is supporting Girls Inc. of Jacksonville with a FUNdraiser Aug. 24. Dine-in, takeout or order online and 20 percent of the proceeds will be donated to Girls Inc.
The flier that must be presented at the FUNdraiser is available on the Girls Inc. of Jacksonville’s website
Proceeds from the event help support Girls Inc. of Jacksonville’s educational and enrichment programs that inspire girls to be strong, smart and bold through after-school, outreach and summer programs.
To learn more, visit www.girlsincjax.org.
Wear teal for United Way
The United Way, the NFL and the Jacksonville Jaguars are teaming up to tackle childhood obesity and promote health and wellness with “Back to Football Friday” Sept. 9.
The Jaguars and United Way are encouraging all fans to wear Jaguars colors to work Sept. 9. The first regular season game is Sept. 11 against the Tennessee Titans.
All Northeast Florida companies are invited to register for the initiative. The company raising the most money for United Way through “Back to Football Friday” will win a visit from two Jaguars players later this season, along with The Roar and Jaxson de Ville.
The winning company also will receive autographed Jacksonville Jaguars merchandise and tickets to a Jaguars home game to use as a staff incentive or to help raise additional money for its United Way campaign.
Local companies can support “Back to Football Friday” by registering with Coretta Hill at [email protected]. The deadline to register is Aug. 29.
All employees wearing Jaguars colors to work on “Back to Football Friday” are encouraged to visit www.backtofootball.org to make a $5 donation to United Way.
Alternatively, they can visit www.jaguars.com/backtofootballfriday to buy a special Jaguars/United Way “Back to Football Friday” T-shirt online priced at $15, with $5 of the proceeds for United Way.
The “Back to Football Friday” T-shirt also will be on sale at the Jacksonville Football Fanatics stores at the Avenues and Orange Park malls and at the JAGWEAR merchandise stores inside EverBank Field during the two Jaguars preseason games against the Atlanta Falcons Aug. 19 and the St. Louis Rams Sept. 1.
All funds generated through the campaign will remain in the Northeast Florida community and will be used to fund in-school and after-school health and wellness programs.
American Red Cross wins grant contest
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Inc. named the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund the July winner of its “The Pursuit” social media campaign.
The American Red Cross is an emergency response organization offering humanitarian care to the victims of war and natural disasters.
The campaign is designed to highlight and reward nonprofit organizations that assist Floridians in their pursuit of health.
Each month, the campaign features three philanthropic organizations on the company’s Facebook fan page that have created new health, wellness, educational or social empowerment opportunities for underserved communities throughout the state.
Florida residents then are invited to vote for the nonprofit that most resonates with them.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida awards $3,000 to the nonprofit with the most votes and gives the runners-up $1,000 each.
Organizations featured in August include the Epilepsy Foundation of Florida, the Florida Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs and Special Olympics Florida.
Organizations previously named Pursuit winners include Florida’s Vision Quest (March), Rails to Trails Conservancy (April), Memories of Love (May) and the PACE Center for Girls (June).
Visit The Pursuit winner page for more details on the organizations and vote for your August non-profit of choice at www.facebook.com/BCBSFL.