Kind and selfless act by high school students in JA Company Program

Teens in the JA Company Program® at Sandalwood High School donated their total profit of $250 to Clara White Mission.

Sandalwood High School JA Company, “The Plug,” with a check made out to Clara White Mission in the amount of $250.

Above photo shows the check in the hands of JA Company, “The Plug,” and below is Tiffany Mackey of Junior Achievement and Sandalwood’s Mrs. Jones presenting the check to Clara White Mission CEO/President, Ju’Coby Pittman.

Clara White Mission CEO/President, Ju’Coby Pittman (center) receives a $250 check for the organization from Sandalwood High School JA Company.

JA Company Program® is a blended learning approach that offers groups of students the opportunity to understand the steps involved in launching their own businesses while learning the basics of entrepreneurship, financial litearacy and business success. Learn more about JA Company Program in Jacksonville.

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Countdown to THE PLAYERS Championship is on!

Year after year, THE PLAYERS Championship demonstrates tremendous charitable support throughout our community. Last year THE PLAYERS Championship donated $7.5 million to local charities, Junior Achievement of North Florida included.

We at JA of North Florida are proud and grateful to be one of its beneficiaries.

Looking forward to another great tournament starting May 5! Just 43 days away!

Volunteer Spotlight: Joanne Mondares

Joanne Mondares
Director – SEC Reporting & Policies, Regency Centers

Joanne has been volunteering with Junior Achievement’s JA Girl$ program for about five years. In August she brought JA’s money management programs to girls at Divine Mercy House, a christian maternity home for single women facing unexpected pregnancies.

How did you learn of the opportunity to get involved?

I met Elizabeth [Paulson, JA Girl$ Program Director] at a networking luncheon in which she stood up, introduced herself and the JAGirl$ program. It was just the two-minute elevator speech but it worked. It made me so excited about the program that I made a point to find her after the luncheon, introduce myself, and make sure I got involved.

Why did you want to volunteer at Divine Mercy House?
I grew up in a comfortable loving home but once my parents divorced, our economic status changed immediately. Although my father paid child support and my mom was (and still is) a tremendously hard worker, she had only a high school diploma and we lived in a very small town.

I watched her struggle to support us, which taught me a lot of lessons, including how important it is to be self-sufficient and in control of your finances.

What do you hope the girls at Divine Mercy House take away from your time with them?
The lessons covered in the JAGirl$ program at Divine Mercy House are so relevant to the ladies since they are at a critical point in their lives.

We do the budgeting lesson and each of the ladies prepares their own budget based on their expected income and expenses when they move out. In the lesson about insurance, we talk a lot about life insurance, the affordable and practical options, and thinking about and documenting who they would like to raise their babies if something were to happen to them.

The ladies at Divine Mercy House have a lot of challenges ahead of them with a new baby. But they also have an amazing blessing and a reason to be motivated to stay on top of their finances and make something of themselves.

I hope the lessons and discussions help them think about, establish and live with a disciplined financial plan so they can focus on being good moms to their new babies.

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To learn how you can make a difference in girls’ lives like Joanne is doing, or to become a volunteer, please visit our website at jajax.com. 

$mart Women Make Change is Junior Achievement’s annual fundraising luncheon to benefit the JA Girl$ program. This year’s keynote speaker is Coca-Cola racing family member Danica Patrick. The event takes place October 23rd from Noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Florida Blue Conference Center. More information and tickets can be found here. 

Spring Bowl-A-Thon a Huge Success

Employees of Wells Fargo, #1 Fundraising Team at the Spring Challenge.

Our annual Spring Bowl-A-Thon Challenge was held Saturday, March 8. So many teams signed up that we had to split them between two bowling alleys! Thirty-seven teams bowled for JA at Bowl America Mandarin and Bowl America Southside. The #1 Fundraising Company was Wells Fargo who raised $4,480! Another congratulations to top fundraiser, Gil Pomar of CenterState Bank who raised $2,100 for the Spring Challenge.

Thanks to all participating companies:
Advent Software
Ameris Bank
Carlisle & Gallagher
CenterState Bank
CSX
Deutsche Bank
Driver, McAfee, Peek & Hawthorne, P.L.
Drummond Press
First Southern Bank
Florida Blue
Jimerson & Cobb, P.A.
Northwestern Mutual
SunTrust
The Jacksonville Bank
Wells Fargo

View photos on our Facebook page!

2013 THE PLAYERS Championship generates $7.1 million for Northeast FL charities

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL – NOVEMBER 14: Giving Back Month: THE PLAYERS 2013 Charity Announcement at TPC Sawgrass Presentation Lawn with PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem and the tournament volunteer leadership on November 14, 2013 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jennifer Perez/PGA TOUR)

At a celebration honoring the volunteer leadership of THE PLAYERS Championship and the tournament’s Giving Back Month, PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem announced that $7.1 million was generated for local charities from the 2013 event, eclipsing last year’s record-breaking total of $6.5 million.

The money generated by THE PLAYERS each year benefits more than 300 charities throughout Northeast Florida, totaling nearly $60 million in charitable giving since the event moved to Ponte Vedra Beach in 1977.

The substantial increases over the past few years is attributed to a growing, dedicated fan base, support from PwC – the event’s Proud Partner, the tireless and selfless efforts of the tournament’s volunteer force and the entire Northeast Florida community.

Guests at the Volunteer Leadership Appreciation Party cheered as a 35-foot banner bearing the $7.1 million news was unfurled from the TPC Sawgrass upper balcony when Finchem made the announcement.

“Laugh for Charity” to benefit Junior Achievement

The Rotary Club of Mandarin will be holding its annual Laugh for Charity event on Thursday, March 14th at 5:30 pm. This year’s comedian is Karen Mills, the fastest rising comedy star in the United States.