JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION AT CENTER OF HOPE POSTPONED
DUE TO CLOSURE AT EMMETT REED COMMUNITY CENTER

Center of Hope’s programs will relocate, still be available to the community

**Update** The City of Jacksonville told First Coast News that Emmett Reed is closed because an electrical panel went out. A temporary fix should be in place in 2-4 weeks. Click here to read their full story.

Jacksonville, Fla. (June 7, 2023) – The Center of Hope at Emmett Reed announced the postponement of its annual Juneteenth community celebration on Wednesday, June 7, due to the sudden, temporary closure of the Emmett Reed Community Center where the organization is housed.

Jada Hunter, Executive Director for Community Reinvestment, says the Center of Hope staff and their community partners are working diligently to relocate ongoing community-centered programming to neighboring locations to provide the same support for the 32209 community with as little disruption to the schedule as possible.

In that spirit, the Center is hosting a grocery giveaway on Tuesday, June 13, starting at noon to donate canned and non-perishable dry goods normally housed at the Center of Hope to the 32209 community. The giveaway will be on a first-come, first-served walk-up basis in the parking lot at Emmett Reed Community Center and will last until all provisions have been distributed.

Some of the Center’s mainstay programs, including Wednesday night Parent Cafes, have already found a temporary placement at the MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation, behind the Emmett Reed center. Interested community members can call the Center of Hope at 904-265-6787 for full schedule information as it evolves. Diaper distribution, normally held at the Center on Tuesday afternoons, now must be pre-scheduled by contacting Veronica Gonzalez, Parent Engagement Ambassador for Center of Hope, at 904-238-9078.

“We’re grateful to our partners and our community for wrapping around us during this time,” says Hunter. “Because of these strong connections and partnerships, Center of Hope has been able to quickly revamp our programs and will continue to connect with our partners and participants to keep everyone up to date with changes to our schedules and events.”

For residents in need of assistance, Hunter encourages them to call the Center of Hope at 904-265-6787 or send an email to centerofhope@fssnf.org. The community can also follow Center of Hope online at Facebook.com/CenterofHopeFL or check their website, CenterofHopeFL.org, for more information as it becomes available.

About the Center of Hope

Center of Hope is a community collaboration operated by Family Support Services. The Center’s focus is to promote positive outcomes of safety and well-being for all children and families in our community’s most vulnerable areas, with a focus on the 32209 ZIP code, through the development and delivery of comprehensive services and supports. For more information about the Center of Hope, go to CenterofHopeFL.org. For more information about Family Support Services of Duval & Nassau Counties, go to www.familysupport.org.