Latest news from FreshMinistries http://www.freshministries.org Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:52:27 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.freshministries.org/images/M_images/feedicon.png http://www.freshministries.org Latest news from FreshMinistries http://www.freshministries.org/content/view/241/139/ Senator LeMieux visits BSEC, praises job creation and growth Via Beaver Street Enterprise Center (http://www.freshministries.org/content/view/75/251/) on Friday, January 29 and was warmly greeted by several of the business incubator’s board members, business partners and tenants as well as FreshMinistries founder Reverend Doctor Robert V. Lee, III, and Beaver Street’s Executive Director, Jackie Perry. After a brief meet and greet session, the Senator spoke to the gathering about his focus on jobs and his aims to provide job seeker assistance and help the unemployed pursue business opportunities through networking with existing programs and cutting through bureaucratic red tape. The Senator has designated his seven regional offices in Florida as resource centers for job seekers and potential employers alike. Jackie Perry (right) gives Senator LeMieux a tour of BSEC's facilities and shares more about its successes. [more photos (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=154064 id=241821820671)] By working with established organizations like FreshMinistries and Beaver Street Enterprise Center, as well as local chambers of commerce, Senator LeMieux hopes to take the lead in job creation throughout the state. In conjunction with this initiative, the Senator’s first proposal is to cut payroll taxes paid by employers and employees in half for one year, thus providing immediate financial relief to all. “I’m here to learn from you,” said Senator LeMieux, congratulating Beaver Street Enterprise Center for its phenomenal growth and success during the past seven years, and pointing to the expansion currently in the works. He noted that the energy at Beaver Street needs to be accessed and channeled toward job creation and recovery across the State of Florida and beyond. Speaking of beyond Florida, Jackie Perry proudly announced that Beaver Street is once again a National Finalist for Incubator of the Year. View photos from Senator LeMieux' visit here (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=154064 id=241821820671). Watch the video below for footage from his visit: News - News Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:55:31 +0100 http://www.freshministries.org/content/view/240/139/ Dr. Lee's call to help Haiti To donate directly to our Haiti relief efforts, use the button below: News - News Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:15:37 +0100 http://www.freshministries.org/content/view/239/139/ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services asks FreshMinistries to coordinate massive Haiti relief effort JACKSONVILLE, FL – United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in Washington, D.C. has asked Jacksonville, FL-based nonprofit FreshMinistries and its international arm, Be The Change International (http://www.bethechangeinternational.org) (BTCI), to coordinate a large-scale effort to bring desperately needed doctors, medical technicians, translators and pharmaceuticals to Haiti in the aftermath of last week’s catastrophic earthquake. The Rev. Dr. Robert V. Lee, chairman of FreshMinistries and BTCI, has been leading the way in the pooling of resources since HHS contacted him. Dr. Lee has long-standing relationships with the Episcopal Church in Haiti and close ties with the Haitian government and will be flying to Haiti as soon as possible to help organize the relief efforts and resources as they are administered, helping align them to meet the needs of this major response. Coordinating the relief efforts on the ground in Haiti will be BTCI’s NGO subsidiary, Be The Change Haiti (BTCH). The Rev. Oge Beauvoir, head of BTCH and Haitian dean of Bureau Anglican de l'Education en Haiti (BAEH), which operates 254 Episcopal Haitian schools, has so far rounded up 41 Haitian physicians and 37 translators. Beauvoir, who escaped harm during the earthquake, has also offered the BAEH school buildings for use in administering aid and coordinating further relief efforts. John “Jack” Logue, Haitian outreach coordinator and former administrator at St. Vincent's Hospital in Jacksonville, has an orthopedic surgical team ready to fly in to Haiti. He is also assisting by putting out a call for more physicians and medical techs. Another donor is offering 46,000 doses of the antibiotic Doxycycline. In addition, those networking to round up resources are: Jay Millson, EVP of the Duval County Medical Society; Pam Chally, PhD, Dean of the UNF Brooks College of Health; Robert Harmon, MD, Director of the Duval County Health Department; Mt. Sinai Hospital; Trinity Wall Street; Baptist Medical Center; Memorial Medical; Shands Florida; Mayo Clinic; Dr. Yank Coble, distinguished professor and Director of the Center for Global Health and Medical Diplomacy, University of North Florida and Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Florida; as well as many other churches and hospitals from New York to Houston. For more information and to find out how you can help, contact FreshMinistries/Be The Change International at 904.355.0000 or matt@freshministries.org (mailto:matt@freshministries.org) PROJECT LINK To donate directly to our Haiti relief project, use the button below: News - News Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:43:24 +0100 http://www.freshministries.org/content/view/237/139/ Breaking Ground Breaking Ceilings Panel Discussion at UNF University Center on December 8, 2009 Story via Beaver Street Enterprise Center (http://www.bsecenter.net) (BSEC), SCORE, SBA, Jacksonville Women’s Business Center, UNF’s Small Business Center, and sponsored by the First Coast Business Alliance and Fifth Third Bank. Panelists openly shared savvy insights regarding their motivation, challenges, and basic business philosophies. A native of Vietnam and one of 12 children, Teresa Myers said she was inspired by her mother’s entrepreneurial spirit and courage. Teresa Meares attributed her success to keeping it simple, staying strong and doing the right thing. Desiree Forgione, in answer to a query from Tanya Douglas, President of Alliance Business Consultants, Inc. about the all-consuming nature of business ownership, advised “You’ve got to take some personal time or you’ll perish.” Forgione also talked of receiving “gifts from God” in the form of good people who stuck by her during this recent economic downturn. “Truly, when you do the right things, people respect you and the money comes,” said Mary Tappouni, whose company focuses on green construction and educating citizens about environmentally friendly practices. Fifth Third Bank took advantage of the entrepreneurial event to present a $2,000 check to Beaver Street Enterprise Center in support of future educational programs. Fifth Third Bank’s Assistant Vice President Kevin Mackiewicz told the audience that Fifth Third actively supports small business development in the community and has recently partnered with Beaver Street by bringing their mobile banking van to the Center. “We look forward to continued involvement with the BSEC Incubator and its educational outreach,” said Mackiewicz. One of the approximately 50 attendees at the event was Rebecca Walden, President of First Coast Signs, Inc., who opened her company just last month. “As a brand new business owner, I was inspired,” said Walden. “What I took away was that I’m not alone. The challenges and hard work are indisputable and I’ll be drinking from the fire hose for some time to come, but there is promise and great satisfaction in owning my own business.” “We’re grateful to Fifth Third Bank for their generous support and to all of our many resource partners who made this event possible,” said Jackie Perry. “We hope to facilitate more entrepreneurial events like this for the woman business owners in our community. With the caliber of female business leaders gathered at this event, it’s obvious the glass ceiling is fast becoming a thing of the past.” News - News Mon, 14 Dec 2009 08:37:01 +0100 http://www.freshministries.org/content/view/236/139/ Welding training program grad begins work FreshMinistries' free welding training program (http://www.freshministries.org/content/view/219/290/) graduates are starting to get job offers from Atlantic Marine in Jacksonville. The training program was a partnership between FSCJ and FreshMinistries to get underemployed and unemployed Eastside residents into an accelerated, 12-week training course with guaranteed jobs after they graduate as they become available. One of the program's participants shared his story. I thank God for FreshMinistries, said James Bailey (pictured at right), who began work at Atlantic Marine as a welding helper Thursday. Bailey, who has a wife-to-be, a step daughter and two sons, said he was struggling to support his family because he wasn't making nearly enough money and was only working a few days a week. I was making minimum wage two to three days a week and was unhappy at my job, said Bailey. Bailey was incarcerated at the Rogerson House at River Region in Jacksonville and looked to FreshMinistries for a way to lift himself up. The welding training program gave him the perfect opportunity to revive his previous welding training and get his foot in an employer's door. I had been trying to get back into welding for a while, but couldn't afford the training, said Bailey. This program was very educational and we got to do lots of hands-on learning. Our instructors also made sure we kept going until we got it all right. As a welding helper at Atlantic Marine, Bailey will have the opportunity to continue his training on-the-job and move up in both position and pay. This is a blessing for me. News - News Mon, 14 Dec 2009 08:09:42 +0100