#GivingTuesday 2020 Brings in Record Donation for FSCJ H.O.P.E. Food Pantry

For Immediate Release: December 3, 2020

Contact: Jill Johnson, (904) 632-5016

#GivingTuesday 2020 Brings in Record Donation for FSCJ H.O.P.E. Food Pantry

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) participated in #GivingTuesday on December 1, 2020, with the goal of raising $10,000 for the College’s H.O.P.E. Food Pantry through our FSCJ Foundation. At the close of the day, the fundraising goal was exceeded with $11,219.48 raised from community donors, alumni, faculty, staff and students. In addition, a generous, anonymous donor agreed to match all gifts up to $10,000, bringing the grand total raised to $21,219.48, which equates to more than 25,000 meals for students in need.

The FSCJ H.O.P.E. Food Pantry is dedicated to serving students by providing access to food and community organizations to support them in the pursuit of their academic and personal goals. The Food Pantry provides students with anonymous and free access to nonperishable food products, which are made available thanks to donations from the community. Demonstrating the level of impact, over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, 10,027 pounds of food have been distributed to both FSCJ students and staff who found themselves in need.

“With student success as our number one priority, we know that we must do our part in providing students with their most basic needs to make way for them to learn, grow and develop, especially during the uncertain times we are all currently facing,” said College President John Avendano, Ph.D. “We are overwhelmed by the selflessness and genuine empathy we’ve seen throughout our community, faculty, staff and students who have given their own resources to provide for those among us who are in need.”

FSCJ’s H.O.P.E. Food Pantry has two physical locations, one at Downtown Campus and the other at South Campus. In addition, the Food Pantry hosts pick-up events and individually works with students who are unable to make their way to a location during regular hours of operation. Food and monetary donations are always welcome. To learn more, visit fscj.edu/student-services/student-life/food-pantry.

#GivingTuesday is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday to kick off the holiday giving season and inspire people to collaborate in improving their local communities and to give back in impactful ways to the charities and causes they care about most.

About FSCJ

Known as “the community’s college,” Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) exists to provide valuable, high-quality learning opportunities to anyone with the desire to enhance themselves through the pursuit of higher education. Serving more than 45,000 students and awarding more than 8,000 degrees and certificates on an annual basis, the College plays a significant role in supplying the region’s employers with a highly skilled, educated workforce.

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