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. 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.
Daniel receives grant for IT upgrade
Daniel has received a grant for $118,638 from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund that will used to upgrade the agency’s technology infrastructure and support planned educational programming.
Daniel said the need to upgrade its technology is urgent. The organization has not made any capital improvements to its technology over the past several years because of other economic pressures.
The organization is using Windows 2003 as its operating system, which is no longer supported by Microsoft for updates and application support. Daniel currently uses 16 servers and 14 of those servers are beyond the recommended five-year lifecycle.
The grant money will allow Daniel to make improvements to its technology infrastructure. Some of these improvements include converting to a virtual environment of three servers that will be able to run multiple machines, updating the equipment at its 126 workstations by purchasing 20 flat-screen monitors and purchasing scanners for the human resources department to continue moving toward a paperless environment.
“This grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Foundation to upgrade our technology infrastructure will make a huge difference in our office’s capabilities and productivity,” said Daniel CEO and President Jim Clark.
“We are very thankful for their generosity in helping support the continued success of Daniel,” he said.
Daniel said the technology upgrades will reduce its hardware and operating costs by as much as 50 percent and energy costs by 80 percent. This will save an estimated total of $33,000 annually.
Eat some wings for tornado relief
Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar will donate 10 percent of nonalcoholic sales to The Salvation Army’s Tornado Relief Fund.
“We are always looking for ways to give back to our local community and hopefully help our guests as well,” said Kathy Benning, Buffalo Wild Wings executive vice president of Global Marketing & Brand Development.
“By offering 10 percent of sales on June 29 to The Salvation Army, Buffalo Wild Wings and our guests are supporting our friends and neighbors. We are confident that our combined efforts will greatly help the lives of those impacted by the recent horrific tornados,” she said.
Guests can visit any participating Buffalo Wild Wings on Wednesday and 10 percent of the food sale will benefit The Salvation Army Tornado Relief. All Buffalo Wild Wings in the Jacksonville area will participate in the event.
“Buffalo Wild Wings’ dedication to service is a blessing. Through this partnership, Salvation Army caseworkers and disaster response personnel will serve even more survivors as they rebuild their lives and homes,” said Jeff Jellets, territorial disaster coordinator for The Salvation Army.
Customers unable to visit a restaurant can donate online at www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org.
Redecorating at Salvation Army center
Over the past couple of weeks, employees from Ashley Furniture HomeStores have been working on a project for The Salvation Army of Northeast Florida.
The project involved redecorating the family gathering room in the The Salvation Army homeless shelter at the Towers Memorial Social Services Center.
The room is the central gathering place for homeless families and children residing in the shelter.
“It was a tremendous group effort,” said Kate Banse of Ashley Furniture.
“We removed the outdated furniture, including lamps and wall art. We repaired holes in the walls and gave the room fresh paint. The designers then chose a color scheme and headed back to Ashley Furniture HomeStores to pick out the furniture,” she said.
Banse said the carpeting was pulled up before the start of the project and replaced with new tile.
“I can’t wait to be there when the families see the new room,” said Holly Crawford, social services coordinator for The Salvation Army.
“They will be thrilled. Ashley Furniture has a true compassion for those hurting in our community. We are so grateful for their generosity,” she said.
Crawford said it is important for the room to be as nice as possible for the families who will be living there.
“Many of our families stay in the shelter for nine months to a year, sometimes more,” she said.
“We want our clients to feel comfortable here, as if they were living in their own home,” she said.
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children.
For more information, visit www.salvationarmyusa.org.
Walmart supports local organizations
The Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program has awarded its first cycle of grants in Florida this year, choosing 19 nonprofit organizations that are making a difference in the communities they serve.
The contributions are awarded through the Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program, which was created to carry out the retailer’s commitment to giving back to the communities in which it operates.
This year, the Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program awarded a total of nearly $1 million in grants and a portion of the grant money was allocated to charities combating hunger.
“At Walmart, we believe in operating globally and giving back locally. This funding will support organizations that are helping families put nutritious meals on the table, break barriers to finding jobs and support students to excel in school,” said Cindi Marsiglio, Walmart director of public affairs and government relations.
“We are appreciative of the communities we serve and aim to help our customers live better lives,” she said.
In North Florida, Baptist Children’s Homes received a $15,000 grant and Blessings in a Backpack was awarded a $25,000 grant.
“This grant confirms Walmart’s concern for the children of our community. At Blessings, we know that providing children with a healthy meal over the weekend leads to better test scores, improved reading skills, positive behavior and ultimately increased attendance at school,” said Michael Borbely, executive director for Blessings in a Backpack.
Walmart’s State Giving has adopted areas of focus: education, work force development, environmental sustainability and health and hunger relief.
While the foundation encourages funding requests that align with its focus areas, programs that do not align also are given full consideration for funding.
Walmart’s second funding cycle of the year is now open.
The foundation encourages organizations throughout Florida with a current, valid 501c3 tax exemption to apply for funding through the State Giving Program. Online application forms can be found at www.walmartstores.com/communitygiving.
In 2010, Walmart stores, Sam’s Club locations and the Walmart Foundation gave more than $40.6 million in cash and in-kind donations to local organizations in the communities they serve in the state of Florida.
Through additional funds donated by customers, and Walmart and Sam’s Club associates throughout the state, the retailer’s contributions in Florida totaled more than $44.8 million.