When Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition learned that its Azalea Project had been selected by Feed The Children to receive more than 21,000 pounds of food and personal care items to disseminate to area families, the organization knew it would need "big" help to tackle the job. They found it, indeed – more than 1,000 pounds of it. Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle and Healthy Start ambassador Eugene Monroe will be joined by Jaguars teammates Kevin Haslam, John Estes and Jarett Dillard in distributing food and goods to area families on Tuesday, December 7thfrom 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
The Feed The Children semi-tractor trailer, recognized worldwide for its size and leadership in international hunger relief, will arrive in Jacksonville on Tuesday at a Springfield parking lot adjacent to Healthy Start's Azalea facility, located at 157 East 8thStreet. Approximately 400 families served by Azalea and other Healthy Start agencies will each receive three boxes of food, household and personal items designed to supplement a family for a week. Employees from Sunoptic Technologies, Healthy Start Coalition and members of the Jacksonville City Council are also expected to be on hand to greet and assist families.
"We are incredibly excited that Feed The Children is coming to support the mothers, babies and families we serve in Jacksonville," said Faye Johnson, Director, Azalea Project. "Feed The Children trucks go all over the world to help families and agencies in need…and for them to pick our families and Healthy Start to support makes us incredibly proud. We are very grateful to them and our sponsor." A local company sponsored the Feed The Children's visit to Azalea Project.
Founded in 1979, Feed The Children is consistently ranked as one of the ten largest international charities in the U.S., based on private, non-government support.
Established in 1992, Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition is dedicated to reducing infant mortality rates and improving the health of children, childbearing women, and families throughout northeast Florida. The Azalea Project is a case management and outreach facility that serves substance-involved women of childbearing age.
