Quarterly News | April 2021 |
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In an interview with USA Today, Vice President Kamala Harris highlights Blessings First Coast partner Duval County School District and our work at Blessings in a Backpack. Go to our website for the story!
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FAST FACTS:
Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Backpack Bulletin— the quarterly newsletter from the Blessings in a Backpack First Coast Chapter! This email will keep YOU in touch with the impactful work we're doing in Clay, Duval, and St. Johns Counties to feed kids who might otherwise go hungry.
This school year, Blessings First Coast has provided over 137,000 hunger-free weekends for local kids, but we can do more. Let's keep growing and continue to prevent childhood hunger in our community!
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TAXSLAYER GATOR BOWL RECAP:
Like most recent events, our annual Taxslayer Gator Bowl team packing event was COVID impacted — the Kentucky Wildcats and NC State Wolfpack players were not allowed to pack. Instead, the Gator Bowl Association staff and officers and the Blessings First Coast Advisory Board stepped in and happily packed 1,000 bags of food for local kids.
The UK and NC State football teams did not let the pandemic stop their generosity from scoring big! They ensured each child received a cool team mascot toy and other goodies in their fantastic football foodie bag.
Did you know that our chapter serves more than 5,000 kids each week through 41 volunteer-powered school partners? Go to the First Coast website if you'd like to get involved!
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WHAT'S AHEAD:
April 18–22
From our amazing Advisory Board, to our creative community friends, to the dedicated guidance counselors, school nurses, principals, and teaching teams that make our mission happen every day — thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!
April 27
Giving Brewsday:
June 4
Pictured: Trisha Stalnaker, raffle winner at February's Giving Brewsday event!
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Our brand new pilot program, My Fresh Companion, was launched by Nease Senior High School students in January. Their goal is to plant, grow, and bring fresh fruit and healthy snacks 144 to First Coast kids each week! Building off their many years of success as Blessings Teen Team Leaders, the Nease Senior Students have helped pilot My Fresh Companion to great success!
The program has three simple goals:
- Enhance our weekend menus with local fresh fruit and produce
- Introduce new healthy snacks like roasted chickpeas, organic apple sauces, buddy fruits, and yogurt covered raisins
- Reduce our operational footprint through the use of environmentally conscious products, like bio-produce bags and compostable packs
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Our chapter provided Nease students with food safety training, protective equipment, and sustainable materials to manage the program safely while providing children with fresh, delicious options. Each week, they purchase, clean, package, and deliver 144 "Fresh Companion" pieces to our young Osceola Elementary friends. And to top it all off, the seniors create motivational, hand-drawn notecards for each child every week! Thank you, Nease Senior High School students!
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Teen volunteers spent their Saturday purchasing, packing, and delivering healthy snacks and school supplies to the Blessings program at Atlantic Beach Elementary. Packed cleanly into multi-use, recycled bags, the event was hosted by Dawn Farmer and supported by Beaches Go Green. The Atlantic Beach Youth Council teaches us all a lesson on how you can do good and do good greenly!
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After canceling their holiday party, the Forever Vets Animal Clinic staff decided to do something meaningful with their funds and serve their community in a truly impactful way! So, they delivered delicious treat bags filled with school supplies and toys to four St. Johns County Blessings' school partners. Thank you, Forever Vets Animal Clinic. We think you're paw-some!
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Historic Mt. Zion AME Church Feeds First Coast Kids
The Historic Mount Zion AME Church fundraised to provide 50 Blessings students with extra weekend food packs so they would not go hungry over Spring Break… and several weeks after that!
Read more
firstcoast.blessingsinaback...
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Once again, our very green friends at Hagan Ace Anastasia rounded up $1,500 for Blessings First Coast in St. Johns County! This annual Round Up event has provided support for hundreds of hungry children over the years, nourishing them with weekend nutrition and helping them grow and bloom.
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Happy Birthday to PGA TOUR golfer Matt Wallace! One year ago, when schools shut down across the First Coast because of the pandemic, Matt stepped up in a BIG way! He donated half his share of the purse from THE PLAYERS Championship to our chapter — more than $18,000 — to provide 5,100 hunger-free weekends! Thank you, Matt, for your generous support. We hope you enjoy your special day!
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Kingmade Jerky Provides Extra Protein For First Coast Kids
Kingmade Jerky - the official jerky and meat snack partner of the PGA TOUR - is thrilled to partner with Blessings in a Backpack to help provide food on the weekends for elementary school children across America who might otherwise go hungry.
Read more
firstcoast.blessingsinaback...
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Blessings First Coast Announces New Board Leadership
Blessings in a Backpack First Coast Chapter announced its 2020-2021 Executive Committee and added four new board members. The board will work to improve and increase the access to healthy food to vulnerable children throughout the First Coast.
Read more
firstcoast.blessingsinaback...
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Reflects giving from July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 |
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$25,000 to $49,999
City of Jacksonville
Community Foundation
Jim and Tabitha Furyk Foundation, Inc.
Kingmade Jerky, Inc.
United Way Of Northeast Florida
UPS-Jacksonville Employees
$15,000 to $24,999
Regency Centers
$5,000 to $9,999
Beaches Go Green
Berkshire Hathaway Florida Network Realty
Compass Consulting Group, LLC
Cross Road Lutheran Church
Amy E. Lohman
Regions Bank
Linda H. Sherrer
$2,500 to $4,999
Ponte Vedra United Methodist Church
St. Johns Cathedral
Valley Ridge Academy PTO
$1,000 to $2,499
121 Financial Credit Union
Martin Buckley
Christy Budnick
Charles Christopher
Marie M. Forbes
Brian Graves
Hagan Ace Hardware of Anastasia
Hodges Blvd. Presbyterian Church
Charles Hyman
Our Lady of Good Counsel
Roy E. Ryscamp
Jennifer Snead
Whole Foods Market
$500 to $999
Bank of America Employee Giving Campaign
Blue Flame Fire Protection
Blue Water Jewelers, Inc.
Robert Burton
Reagan Combs
Julia Frye
Greater Beaches VFW
Melissa P. Horne & Family
Kalisa King
Eugenia McNally
Nesting Place Interiors, Inc.
Linda Parrish
Publix Super Market Charities
Spartan Kids Foundation
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