JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As we enter the holiday season, locals in need and agencies that serve them need extra support.
For Jesse York, the Salvation Army of Northeast Florida’s Towers Center of Hope in LaVilla has given him much more than shelter.
York said, “I feel better than what I ever felt, because I feel like now I have a family, you know.”
York has faced some challenges in life, but said he’s finding stability through the Salvation Army’s supportive programs and another critical necessity – nourishment.
York said, “It feels good knowing, though, that I’m able to be able to go in there and eat and, and I’m thankful for that because there’s a lot of people out there don’t have that.”
Dr. Minerva Torres is Social Services Director and said their goal is to meet the clients where they are and serve them with dignity. Dr. Torres said, “They come here for different reasons, you know? So once the case managers assess the situation, then they start working with them. Of course, they get shower; they get, of course, the meals.”
The Towers Center of Hope serves more than 40,000 meals a year.
Food Services Manager Kent Beaumont said his goal is to make the most of the donations that come into his kitchen.
Beaumont said, “I do the best job I can to making sure that they all get something, and that can be somewhat of the difficulty of my job, but it’s what, what gets us excited.”
Excited to serve and impact lives with the help of the community.
Dr. Torres said, “If you donate funds, know that you’re donating to an organization that is deeply, deeply rooted to what we’re doing in Jacksonville. We want to help with the homeless. We want to help them get permanent housing and situated.”
Dr. Torres said in addition to cash and food donations, they also welcome volunteers. For more information, go to Action News Jax dot com.
The Salvation Army’s major fundraiser, the Red Kettle Campaign, kicks off on November 13 at Ballast Park in San Marco.
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