Local organizations tackle hunger for thousands of DCPS homeless students

Thousands of local students are faced with the challenge of finding their next meal or a place to sleep.

However, Jacksonville-based businesses and nonprofit organizations have created different campaigns to help students get the resources they need.

Action News Jax found records from Duval County Public Schools that state 1,500 students have been reported homeless.

St. Johns County Public Schools stated 338 are also recorded as homeless starting at the beginning of the 2018 – 19 academic school year.

Trinity Rescue Mission is one of several shelters in downtown Jacksonville that houses homeless students.

This facility houses 16 DCPS students specifically.

Once students are accepted into the facility, Trinity provides a room, clothes, food, books, bookbags, school supplies and uniforms if needed.

“You don’t have anything, you have basically what’s in your car,” Christie Brittian said. “You have your kids and your husband. That’s what crossed my mind, I have to do something to take care of these people.”

Brittian became a member of Trinity Rescue Mission about seven months ago.

She said she and her husband have eight children, five of whom are currently enrolled in DCPS.

She credits the shelter for helping her kids get a proper education.

“We’ve always tried to provide the best we could, but they (children) saw when things were getting thin. They saw me stretching out meals for them,” Brittian said. “They saw me not being able to give what I normally give, and then we come here and everybody is provided for.”

She said she immediately saw a change in her children’s behavior after they registered with Trinity.

“It was the kids. We have to give them some stability,” Brittian said. “We have never been in a situation where we’ve been homeless before, and I can definitely say coming here has made that transition easier.”

Another local business, Jaguars Power Sports, is also raising funds to support local children facing hunger.

“For every major unit sell that we have, we’re going to take care of a local child,” general manager Marcy Moyer said. “So if I have 10 sales for today, we’re going to feed 10 kids for the next month.”

Marcy said the company has chosen to specifically give back to the nonprofit organization Hunger Fight, whose focus is to feed local youth.

Brittian said these resources are what helped her family get to a new place of independence. She announced they are leaving Trinity soon and moving into a house in Jacksonville on Oct. 1.

Cox Media Group