The Monique Burr Foundation for Children named Pat Hanford as its development director.
Hanford is pursuing a master’s degree in educational leadership at the University of North Florida and earned a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University.
She holds the Certified Fund Raising Executive designation and served for the past seven years as UNF’s College of Education and Human Services development director.
“I look forward to creating and executing a strategically focused development plan to help The Monique Burr Foundation continue to make incredible impacts on the lives of many families,” she said.
Child Safety Matters is a research-based, primary prevention education program designed to provide elementary school students and adults with information and strategies to prevent bullying, digital abuse and all forms of child abuse and exploitation.
The curriculum is approved in 55 counties in Florida and the safety lessons have reached more than 1 million children. The foundation has trained more than 1,300 facilitators to implement the program.
Jewish food festival May 3
More than 500 people are expected to attend the fourth annual Jewish Food Festival from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. May 3 at the Congregation Ahavath Chesed to celebrate the customs and cuisine of the Jewish culture. The event also is one of the Temple’s key fundraisers.
The festival will offer Jewish foods including kugel, matzo ball soup, corned beef sandwiches, eggplant yahni and couscous. Several restaurants are participating, including Taverna, Mandaloun Restaurant, Matthew’s and Margo’s Catering.
“Jews have lived all over the world and created recipes based on the local food products available,” Senior Rabbi Joshua Lief said.
In addition to all-you-can-eat sampling, the festival will include a bake-off for cookies and cakes as well as a L’Chaim Wine Wall.
Tickets are $18 for adults, $36 for families with children under 12.
For more information and to purchase tickets, call (904) 733-7078 or visit thetemplejacksonville.com.
Food bank provides healthy snacks for students in need
Feeding Northeast Florida has delivered more than 50,000 pounds of healthy snacks and fruits to eight Duval County public schools since it launched in October “SnackPack Wednesdays.”
Bruce Ganger, president and CEO of the food bank, said hunger can affect a student’s ability to focus and learn. “So this program is having a direct positive impact on a child’s capacity to concentrate and do well in school,” he said.
Duval County Public Schools contacted the nonprofit in August to plan a hunger prevention project based on its concern about students identified by staff as being clearly in distress from food insecurity. SnackPack Wednesdays was designed to provide healthy snacks for children when they are not in school, providing whole grain foods and fresh fruit that can be taken to the child’s home.
Public school staff identified 107 of the 160 schools that have children who fit the economic criteria to receive supplemental food assistance and selected the schools with the highest rates of food insecurity and other student performance and behavior criteria.
About 600 students were connected with the program at West Jacksonville, S.P. Livingston, Ruth Upson, Joseph Finegan and Neptune Beach elementary schools, as well as Eugene Butler, Mayport and Southside middle schools.
“Community organizations like Feeding Northeast Florida help support our goal to develop the whole child by filling the gaps in our society for children and eliminating factors, such as hunger, that can create obstacles to learning,” said Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Nikolai Vitti.
Feeding Northeast Florida distributes food to people in 17 Northeast Florida counties through a network of more than 150 nonprofit, faith-based and charitable organizations.
The most recent local survey from the 2014 Hunger in America report shows that 38,000 people are served each week by programs supported by Feeding Northeast Florida.
To donate, volunteer or learn more about eliminating hunger in Northeast Florida, visit feedingnefl.org or call (904) 513-1333.
Dance marathon to benefit children this Saturday
The Miracle Board, the young professional group supporting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, is partnering with the League of Southeastern Credit Unions Northeast Florida Chapter young professionals group to host the third annual Jacksonville Dance Marathon from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday at Aloft Hotel Jacksonville in Tapestry Park.
All funds raised will support Wolfson Children’s Hospital and the pediatric programs at UF Health Jacksonville through Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
Participants will be challenged to stay on their feet for more than eight hours. Those who choose not to dance can participate in games and live entertainment, while sampling food donated by local restaurants.
Dance Marathon is a nationwide philanthropic movement that has grown to more than 100 universities and colleges, including the University of North Florida.
At UNF’s Dance Marathon on March 28, the team raised more than $43,000 for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
Entirely run by volunteers, Dance Marathons have become a tradition on campuses and now in the community. Jacksonville is one of the first cities across the U.S. to host a citywide Dance Marathon.
The cost to register as a dancer is $25. Online registration is available until Friday at jacksonvilledancemarathon.org. Participants also may register from 8-9 a.m. Saturday at Aloft Hotel.
Spectators are welcome with a $10 individual donation or $25 for a family. Aloft Hotel is located at 4812 Deer Lake Drive. Parking is free.
For more information on the event, visit jacksonvilledancemarathon.org or call Nick Cantrell at (904) 612-9012.