City Year Jacksonville corps members who are about to complete their year of service in Duval County Public Schools now have some tips from local Comcast senior leadership to help them in their upcoming job searches.
At Comcast’s annual career day for City Year Jacksonville members on March 19, local Comcast directors and managers offered the more than 80 attendees advice on career-related topics such as resume writing, interview preparation and networking. The event was part of Comcast’s local and national partnership with City Year, a nonprofit that places corps members in schools in low-income communities to combat high drop-out rates.
“The City Year Jacksonville corps members do so much every day to make a difference in the lives of local students,” said Bill Ferry, senior director for government affairs and community investment for Comcast in North Florida.
City Year is an education-focused organization founded in 1988 dedicated to helping students and schools succeed. The organization partners with public schools in 26 urban, high-poverty communities in the U.S. and abroad.
Learn more at cityyear.org.
River Garden Hebrew Home marking 69th anniversary
Fun, laughter and lots of activity describe how River Garden Hebrew Home celebrated its 69th year March 21.
More than 500 members of the community, ranging from infants to seniors, gathered on the River Garden campus to join in the celebration, which included a barbecue, pony rides, face painting and clowns, balloon artistry, games and a bounce house.
Debby Kaye, River Garden board member, chaired the event and coordinated the activities of the day and the annual meeting.
Blood Alliance supports Dreams Come True
Donors who gave blood and supported The Blood Alliance throughout the month of March helped save up to three lives and contributed to the gift of a dream for two children at Dreams Come True.
The Blood Alliance will present a check to Dreams Come True and 15-year old Katie Steffens on Friday at The Blood Alliance at Deerwood.
Steffens and her family will leave for Walt Disney World the next day to start her dream.
The alliance donated $1 to Dreams Come True for each blood donation made on any of its Bloodmobiles. The organizations also donated $5 for every 50 HERO Rewards Points donated back by donors through its Hero Rewards Store at igiveblood.com during March.
The Blood Alliance provides blood to more than 30 hospitals and medical facilities in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. It provides a safe and adequate blood supply to the regions it serves and is a member of America’s Blood Centers, a national network of independent community blood centers responsible for nearly half of the nation’s blood supply.
For more information, visit igiveblood.com or call (888) 998-2243.
Dignity U Wear needs new undies
Dignity U Wear has kicked off the 2015 National Undie Campaign. The 2015 national campaign began April 3 and will end with the community-wide Undie Sunday collection celebration May 17 at the Jacksonville Landing.
The national campaign is the No. 1 way for anyone to participate in collecting and providing undergarments to those in need.
This year, Dignity U Wear has set a goal to collect 210,000 units of undergarments, including socks, bras and underwear, plus $50,000 in donations.
The Undie Campaign has helped more than 800,000 people with underwear, one of the most requested basic clothing needs.
The success of the campaign is due to hundreds of donors, collectors, participants, sponsors and volunteers.
Cooking for scholarships Saturday at EverBank Field
Local grill masters are ready to take the culinary battlefield once again and compete for the title of BBQ King at the 7th Annual Jacksonville Backyard BBQ Championships on Saturday at EverBank Field.
Event proceeds fund the Glyn Cook Memorial Scholarship, awarded to formerly homeless youth served by Daniel Kids who are seeking to further their educations beyond high school.
Up to 60 amateur and professional teams will compete in categories of chicken, pork and ribs.
Celebrity judges, including Mike DiRocco from espn.com, will join certified barbecue judges to rate the entries and crown the Amateur BBQ King of Jacksonville. Professional teams will compete for a share of a prize pool and the title of Pro Champion.
The event is noon-5 p.m. Saturday at EverBank Field.
Tickets are $16.50 in advance, $20 at the door and $15 when purchased in groups of 10 or more. A limited number of VIP packages – including four tickets, four VIP passes and parking – are available for $150.
For more information regarding team registration or to purchase tickets, visit danielkids.org.