[slideshow]Since 2002 a collaborated effort between University of North Florida’s Transportation and Logistics Society (TLS) and the Propeller Club of the United States Port of Jacksonville has helped make the holidays happier for the residents of Hubbard House.
Each year students from TLS conduct a toy and toiletries drive and during the semester they raise money selling cookies and recycling printer cartridges. This year the students donated $600 in gift cards and $1,500 worth of in-kind gifts. The Propeller Club donated a cash gift of $1,000 and also provided $500 in gifts and decorations to brighten the lobby of Hubbard House. On Saturday, Dec. 4 members of the Propeller Club and TLS students delivered the gifts and decorated the lobby for the residents.
All experienced a magical moment when two little boys staying at the Hubbard House shelter, surprised to see all the holiday decorations, started dancing and jumping for joy shouting “Merry Christmas, it’s Christmas!” “That was a magic moment for the students because they knew through their efforts they were able to make a major difference in the lives of the women and children of Hubbard House who are seeking shelter from domestic violence,” said Lynn Brown, Associate Director of the UNF Transportation and Logistics Flagship Program. “Our holiday season starts at Hubbard House every December. It is a wonderful tradition that becomes more meaningful and more humbling every year.”
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While many celebrate the blessings of the holiday season with their families, other families are living with the terrors of domestic violence. The Hubbard House domestic violence emergency shelter will be home to more than 80 women, children and men looking for safety over the holidays. For those who have been affected by domestic violence, holiday joy is often more of a wish than a reality. Hubbard House relies on the generosity of the community, such as that given by the TLS students and the Propeller Club, to help make the holidays a little easier for families who have experienced violence in their home.
Holiday donation opportunities include:
Holiday Food Drive – Nov. 1 – Dec. 31: Hubbard House provides victims and their families groceries from which they are able to prepare three meals a day, in addition to snacks. Hubbard House relies on the community to help keep the food pantry stocked year round. You can help by donating non-perishable food items or by organizing a food collection drive through your place of employment, with your family and friends, or through your civic or church group.
Holiday Toy Store Drive – Nov. 29 – Dec. 23: The Holiday Store gives those who are affected by domestic violence the opportunity to know the joy of giving, even during crisis. Families in shelter, or those who have recently left shelter, are able to select toys and gifts for their loved ones from items that have been donated by the community.
For more information on Hubbard House’s holiday programs contact April Griffin at (904) 354-0076 ext. 652, holidays@hubbardhouse.org, or visit www.hubbardhouse.org/hh/holiday.aspx.
If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship please call the Hubbard House 24-Hour Domestic Violence Hotline at (904) 354-3114 or (800) 500-1119.
ABOUT HUBBARD HOUSE
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 6,000 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.