JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – During United Way of Northeast Florida’s annual Day of Action on Friday, more than 70 volunteers participated in different projects to serve Jacksonville’s community.
The volunteers assisted with various projects, such as tending to a community garden, cleaning up streets, and landscaping around the Northside area, North Riverside area, and James Weldon Johnson Full Service School Site.
“We are our best source,” Marcell Pickens, a United Way Volunteer, said. “We have to be willing to put in the elbow grease and be willing to do what it takes to make sure that the community is what we want it to be.”
At the Daily Manna Community Garden in the Northside area, a new gazebo is being constructed to replace another destroyed by a storm.
At another site, volunteers helped revamp The Worship Center Church. Bishop Gerald Dinks told News4JAX that the church feeds hundreds of people every Thursday.
“In order to be a good leader, you have to be a good follower,” Dinks said. “I know I needed to be out here and help—also to get the work done.”
At the James Weldon Johnson Full Service School—a school for students to receive free mental health resources—volunteers worked on the upkeep of several therapy rooms.
Coretta Hill, United Way of Northeast Florida’s Chief Operating Officer, stressed the importance of pouring into these local areas.
“United Way has invested $10 million over multiple years to ensure that residents in the community have preserved their homes,” Hill said. “We are also providing affordable housing opportunities for people who want to move into the community.”
The Day of Action helps community members recognize that each part of Jacksonville is worth the impact. The residents of the city were proud to give back to these communities.
United Way’s Day of Action is usually scheduled annually around June 21 for thousands of volunteers to have a global impact on their communities. United Way has created opportunities to volunteer both virtual and in-person throughout 37 countries across the world.
United Way of Northeast Florida is celebrating a century of impact. Since 1924, the non-profit organization has supported families in need, giving hope and creating opportunities to help them thrive.
For more information on United Way of North East Florida’s Day of Action, click here.