The Uptown Civitan Club was chartered in 1983 by a group of women and remains an exclusively female community service organization. Another exclusivity policy is that the club meets only at Downtown venues.
The club’s first meetings were held in the employee lounge at the Independent Life Building, recently designated the Wells Fargo Center.
Later, the meetings were moved to the BellSouth Building, now AT&T Tower 301, then to the CSX Building. The club later migrated to the Southbank for meetings at the Some Place Else discotheque and about 20 years ago, settled at The University Club atop Riverplace Tower, said Past President Mattie Fraser.
Members gathered Tuesday for their annual philanthropic awards ceremony and presented grants to six organizations.
“This club has always been dedicated to serving the community with an emphasis on helping developmentally disabled people,” said 2010-11 President Pat Ellis.
This year’s awards included a $1,000 grant to the Florida School for the Deaf & the Blind in St. Augustine. The funds will be used to provide a certified interpreter for the school’s summer Art Camp program in 2012.
Also receiving a $1,000 grant was L’Arche Harbor House to offset some of the cost of providing a SoloLift for one of its clients who suffers from cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair.
The Women’s Center of Jacksonville was awarded $500 to recruit and train volunteers for the organization’s Expanded Horizons Literacy Program for Women.
A $500 grant was presented to DLC Nurse & Learn to purchase updated classroom supplies for special needs children.
WJCT FM-89.9 was awarded $500 to support the Public Broadcasting station’s “Radio Reading Service” to help fund support staff and purchase closed-circuit radios that are provided to the visually and print-impaired listeners in North Florida and South Georgia.
Horse Sense & Sensitivity received a $500 grant for the purchase of a wireless communication system to aid instructors who provide an equine experience for people with disabilities.
“We would not have made it without the support of this club. Thank you for keeping us afloat,” said Betty Winston, the organization’s executive director, in accepting the award.
“While the money we’re giving is modest, we tried to find organizations that would be deeply impacted by these gifts,” said club Past President Karen Nasrallah, who chairs the philanthropy committee.
Uptown Civitan also installed new officers and directors for 2011-12. Ellis passed the gavel to her successor, Laura McLaughlin, who outlined the goals for her term in office.
McLaughlin said she will lead the club to concentrate on building its membership; to continue and expand its support of nonprofit organizations, particularly in volunteer hours contributed; and expand the club’s presence on the Internet and in the media.
“Our destiny is here. This team sets sail right now,” she said.
Uptown Civitan welcomes visitors to its meetings. To contact the club for details, visit www.civitan.net/uptownjax.
356-2466