EJNRC Facts
Date opened: July 15, 2007
Residents helped: 30 - 45/day
Key partners: The Department of Children and Families, Winn-Dixie, Comcast, Nova University, University of North Florida, Duval County Public Schools, Jacksonville Network of Strengthening Families, Worksource, FCCJ, many local churches and private donors.
Director: Beverly Toney
Phone: 904.854.6700
Location: click here for map
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East Jacksonville Neighborhood Resource Center Download the Jacksonville Resource Directory (Jacksonville_Resource_Directory.PDF - 1.12MB)
The East Jacksonville Neighborhood Resource Center offers residents help for issues including emergency assistance, educational support, school choice, finding jobs, and health and medical needs – and even offers a computer lab. .jpg) The center’s former director, Lula Brown, said the Resource Center grew out of a dream to improve the community. “This is an area where there is a lot of need,” said Brown about the 32206 neighborhood. The community is stricken with elevated school drop-out rates, poor local health care and transportation problems. “Everything families want and need – they have to go somewhere else to get it,” said Brown. “A lot of the families here don’t have cars and have to rely on public transportation. And our bus systems are not as good as they should be.” The lack of local resources for health care and other basic needs make life difficult for residents in East Jacksonville, said Brown. That’s where the Resource Center comes in. “Anything that they need – we don’t have the money – but we know where they need to go to get what they need,” said Brown. “We want to be a spark in the community.”  And, indeed, residents have been taking advantage of the Resource Center’s knowledge and resources.“We see anywhere from 30 to 45 people a day for a whole range of things,” said Brown. The five-terminal computer lab attracts local youth who use the computers for homework and occasional games. Adults use them for writing resumes, searching for jobs and applying for food stamps. The homeless population, which has increased in recent years, isn’t ignored. Some of the local homeless come by the Resource Center to use the restroom and the telephone. Some even have their mail and food stamps delivered to the center. But sometimes, helping someone isn’t as simple as providing a free telephone call. “We run into a lot of situations where kids are almost on their own,” said Brown. “Sometimes we have to do what we have to do to make sure the kids will be safe. The parents trust us and the kids trust us, but then there comes a time when I have to say ‘I’m going to have to call the Department of Children and Families.’ That may result in [the parents] being disconnected from us, but it’s for the safety of the kids.”  The Resource Center’s help doesn’t end at the center’s doors, however. Nova University has partnered with the center to help focus on education and parenting needs throughout the neighborhood.Nova is using the Resource Center as a school choice center, helping inform parents and children about local school programs. Nova also supplies “parent liaisons” to teach local parents how to help their kids. Their primary focus is on low-performing schools (those that earn D and F grades). "They go into these schools and connect with the parents,” said Brown. “They help the parents realize that they have choices to make about their child or children’s education. They also help them get connected in the school because a lot of the parents aren’t involved with the schools.” In addition, Nova furnishes the Resource Center with books. From Black History books for kids to SAT prep books for college-bound students, they make sure everyone has the tools they need to learn.  Another external program is the Police Athletic League. It began as an after-school program and has now expanded to offer sports activities, a computer room and more.Other programs like SOS partner with the Resource Center to help have a positive impact on the area. “We’ve only been here a year,” said Brown. “And within that time, it’s evident by the number of people we’ve served that we’re making a difference. Because they do know that they can come here and get what they need. My heart is in serving people – that’s why I’m here.” The East Jacksonville Community Resource Center is a joint effort by FreshMinistries, The Department of Children and Families, Winn-Dixie, Comcast, Nova University, University of North Florida, Duval County Public Schools, Jacksonville Network of Strengthening Families, Worksource, FCCJ and many local churches and private donors. For more information, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it at the Resource Center at 904.854.6770.
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