Justice Coalition of Jacksonville faces possible closure without funds

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Innocent faces of Northeast Florida's violent crime are plastered on the walls of the Justice Coalition.

Haley Smith is among the victims.

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Her mother, Jo-Lee Manning, explained, “Haley’s case was a cold case for three years, and when there was an arrest made, the Justice Coalition was there.”

Manning first opened up to Action News Jax in 2013 about the hit-and-run crash that killed her 15-year-old daughter.

She said it’s what drives her as an advocate at the Justice Coalition.

“They were at every hearing with me or for me, and it really made me want to become an advocate,” she explaine.

If the nonprofit can’t raise funds quickly, other families might not have the same resources.

“We buy our own office supplies, and if we need cleaning supplies, whatever we need, we’ll chip in and do it.”

Despite the efforts, the group isn’t able to make ends meet.

According to the board chairman, the Justice Coalition receives $150,000 annually in grants.

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He said that money pays the salaries of three and a half employees.

The grants don’t cover operating expenses or the salary of the director.

The group’s most recent director, Mike Liles, passed away in 2018.

Manning said: “The families are in crisis. They don’t know what to do, where to go. We can help them file for victim’s comp, which can help them pay for funeral expenses, medical bills, counseling for the family.”

The mom added she would have been lost without the advocates after her daughter’s death.

When asked what the Justice Coalition’s closure would mean for victims’ families, she replied: “I can’t even fathom that. It would be devastating to so many families.”

A BBQ fundraiser is set for Saturday, June 22 from 10:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

The BBQ will be held at 2820 US-1 South, St.Augustine, FL.

Lunches are $10.

Cox Media Group