Chanel Martin/Family Support Services
Rayonier and Family Support Services (FSS) of Duval and Nassau Counties recently celebrated a decade of partnership at the annual “Load the Truck” event benefiting Nassau County families in need during the holidays. This cherished tradition, held on December 12th at Rayonier’s headquarters, saw Rayonier employees come together to fulfill the holiday wishes of local children in foster and preventative care programs.
Chanel Martin/Family Support Services
For the past ten years, Rayonier employees have eagerly donated gifts, ensuring that these children experience the joy of the holiday season. This year’s event, which fulfilled the wishes of 89 Nassau County children in foster care, marked a special milestone in their ongoing commitment to supporting the community. To date, Rayonier has provided more than 2,800 holiday gifts for more than 1,000 children in care with FSS.
The event culminated in a festive gathering where the gifts were loaded onto a truck, generously donated by Read’s Moving in Jacksonville, for delivery to the FSS Nassau County offices.
“The holidays can be an especially challenging time for children in foster care when they can find themselves away from the comfort of traditions and family,” said Jenn Petion, President and CEO of Family Support Services. “Rayonier’s ‘Load the Truck’ event not only brings much-needed joy and excitement to these children but also serves as a powerful reminder that they are loved and remembered. We are incredibly grateful for partners like Rayonier who are committed to the community and meeting both the needs and wishes of our most vulnerable children.”
“As an adoptive parent of children from foster care, I know firsthand the profound impact a simple gift can have on a child in need,” added Mark Bridwell, SVP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at Rayonier and former Board Chair of Family Support Services. “The Angel Tree project shows these kids that their community cares, and I’m incredibly proud of our Rayonier employees for their continued support. And to anyone in the community who’s considered fostering, I urge you to contact Family Support Services to learn more. You could change the trajectory of a child’s life.”
The annual event also underscores the ongoing need for community partnerships and foster parents to provide stability for Nassau County’s children in care, at the holidays and all year long. For more information about how to get involved with FSS, go to familysupport.org or Facebook.com/fssjax for more information.
Contact: Jane Wilder, (229) 200-9433
jane.wilder@rayonier.com
Web: https://www.rayonier.com/about-us/media/
About Rayonier
Rayonier (NYSE:RYN) is a leading timberland real estate investment trust with assets located in some of the most productive softwood timber growing regions in the United States and New Zealand. We own or lease under long-term agreements approximately 2.7 million acres of timberlands. We are More than trees because we recognize that our 90+ years of success in the timberland industry comes from our people, an empowering culture and the courage to constantly challenge “the way it’s always been done.” Get to know us at www.rayonier.com.
About FSS
Family Support Services is the lead agency for family preservation, foster care, and adoption services in Duval, Nassau, Pasco and Pinellas counties. Through community-based care, FSS provides services and programs to help prevent child abuse and neglect, to promote a healthy family environment and to care for our community’s children in foster care. For more information, go to www.familysupport.org.
