Former JBA President
Kelly B. Mathis
Do you remember the last HabiJax house built by The Jacksonville Bar Association? In 2007 it became one of my goals for The Jacksonville Bar Association to build another HabiJax house, a tradition started by the intrepid Hank Coxe.
The project was plagued with problems from the beginning, almost like it was not meant to be. We were underfunded, underorganized and just plain underwater. The chairperson I had appointed for the project contracted a serious extended illness and my new firm was starting to take off and was keeping me very busy.
Several pledges of financial support fell through. Serious consideration was given to scrapping the project altogether. However, I stubbornly would not let it die.
Pajcic & Pajcic stepped up to the plate and agreed to sponsor half of the financial commitment to HabiJax and supply numerous volunteers. Some contacts at Florida Coastal School of Law also agreed to volunteer to help build the house.
The fear of defeat forced us onward.
We cobbled together a portion of the money pledged to HabiJax and enough volunteers to make it happen.
The Jacksonville Bar Association and Pajcic & Pajcic built a HabiJax home that year for Shanna Carter and her daughter.
A few of us remember being out there swinging a hammer, painting and doing landscape with Ms. Carter. We recently received an email from Shanna Carter. She took advantage of the blessings that we were able to provide to enhance her life. She truly became a living example of HabiJax’s motto, “A hand up, not a handout.”
Ms. Carter recently let us know that she will be graduating with her bachelor’s degree this spring. She started a nonprofit organization to promote the lifestyle choices for Jacksonville’s youth and has become a board member with a HabiJax professionals group.
Ms. Carter plans to attend law school. “As I look back now, it’s funny how I always wanted to be attorney, but after life happened that dream went away. Then you all came along to cross my path in which it stirred the dream up again,” she told us.
She now works in a law office for the State of Florida to help prepare her for law school. Her e-mail described how so many things have changed in her life, “just because of that one great blessing.”
As with all of us, sometimes “life happens” and we miss the opportunity to follow our dreams. We, my friends, were able to resurrect a dream for Shanna Carter.
Because The Jacksonville Bar Association and Pajcic & Pajcic forged ahead with a HabiJax house that almost seemed destined not to be, we have been able to make a tremendous difference in the life of Shanna Carter.
In retrospect, it seems obvious that Shanna Carter’s HabiJax house was meant to be. This is a reminder for us never to pass by the opportunity to make a difference. I will leave you with Shanna Carter’s message to us. “Be blessed.”