Hubbard House has grown from being the first domestic violence shelter established in the state of Florida in 1976, to a nationally recognized leader in the effort to end domestic violence. Hubbard House provides programs and services to more than 6,000 women, children and men annually in Duval and Baker counties.
None of Hubbard House’s efforts to end domestic violence would be possible without the support received from devoted volunteers and donors. Hubbard House relies on the continued support from the community to serve victims of domestic violence and their families and to help prevent future abuse. Without Hubbard House and our supporters, many of these victims’ hopes for peace, dreams of tomorrow, and strength for their children are lost.
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This community support spotlight focuses on the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation. Under the leadership of Delores Barr Weaver, Jaguars Foundation Chair and CEO, the Foundation’s total grant giving since 1995 is more than $13.6 million for youth-serving programs in the Jacksonville area, which includes Duval, Baker, Clay, Nassau, and St. Johns counties. This level of giving is among the top few of professional sports teams.
Recently, the Jaguars Foundation Board announced the awarding of $764,000 in its first grant cycle of 2010 to 27 local nonprofit organizations serving economically and socially disadvantaged children and families in Northeast Florida. Hubbard House was awarded $36,000 for its Helping at Risk Kids (HARK) program.
HARK is a 12-week group program, for children 4 to 17, that provides education and counseling to children who have witnessed or experienced domestic violence. HARK focuses on breaking the cycle of future occurrences of domestic violence by teaching children and youth about healthy relationships and alternatives to violence.
Facts About Domestic Violence and Children
- Ten million American children are at risk from exposure to domestic violence annually.
- The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office documents approximately 7,000 cases of domestic violence each year.
- A large percentage of men who assault their partners also assault their children.
- More than half of female victims of domestic violence live in homes with children under age 12.
- Statistics and studies show that, without intervention, children who live with violence are much more likely to perpetuate violence as adults.
- Children who experience violence in the home repeatedly are at a substantially greater risk of arrest and other negative outcomes.
These alarming statistics reveal the need to break the cycle of domestic violence and educate youth about its damaging effects. HARK does just that.
Hubbard House is extremely grateful for the continued support of the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation with helping to end domestic violence in our community and hopes more companies will take action and join the cause!
For more information about the HARK program please call the Hubbard House Outreach Center at (904) 400-6300.
If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship Hubbard House can help. Please call the Hubbard House hotline at (904) 354-3114 or (800) 500-1119.
ABOUT THE JAGUARS FOUNDATION:
The Jaguars Foundation focuses on strategic grant making, networking, and volunteer support to serve economically and socially disadvantaged youth and families of Jacksonville.
Other Foundation programs include:
- Honor Rows® uses seats at Jaguars home games to reward economically and socially disadvantaged youth for reaching pre-determined academic, behavioral, and public service goals;
- Straight Talk™, in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida and local media, to help reduce teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases;
- Jaguars Play 60 Challenge, co-sponsored by Baptist Health/Wolfson Children’s Hospital, in partnership with the NFL, American Heart Association and Duval County Public Schools, to help prevent youth obesity, promote physical activity and good nutrition; and,
- Jaguars Don’t Smoke, an initiative to reduce tobacco use among youth.
ABOUT HUBBARD HOUSE
Hubbard House is a nationally recognized leader in domestic violence intervention. Founded as the first domestic violence shelter in Florida in 1976, Hubbard House is a certified, comprehensive domestic violence center providing programs and services to more than 5,000 women, children, and men annually in Duval and Baker counties. While Hubbard House is most known for its emergency shelter, the agency also provides extensive adult and youth outreach services, school-based education, therapeutic childcare, batterers’ intervention programs, court advocacy and volunteer and community education opportunities. Visit www.hubbardhouse.org to learn more.