Ron Armstrong took some coffee and brewed some jobs for at-risk teens.
After the Pura Bean Coffee Co. in Jacksonville offered to donate its product to the faith-based nonprofit he founded and runs, Sponsored by Grace, an idea arose. He transformed an old school bus into Grounds of Grace, a mobile coffee shop that provides work for African American youth in the troubled 32209 ZIP code. The goal is to create an avenue … to gain employment rather than being hired by the streets, Armstrong said.
From the bus, JJ can now see a way out. I was going to use this opportunity to meet new people and make a living for myself that s the right way, he said. I wanted to work on the bus to get a view of another environment outside of my community and learn how to manage and use my money wisely. It s been very exciting, something I have never experienced before.
When Mincy Pollock made a pitch to other African-American business owners about joining him as a JAX Chamber member, the response typically was a dismissive why bother shrug.
As much as Pollock sees the chamber as a valuable way for growing his two small businesses Florida Care Insurance and Pollock Group he could understand the skepticism. When I go to the (chamber) meetings, a lot of times, as my grandma would say, I m a fly in a glass of milk, he said. I would go and I would talk to other business owners about Hey, you really should be connected with the chamber, and they have said in the past, It doesn t look like we fit. I don t know if they want us.
Year of protest carries over to business world in confronting racial gaps
The past few months have seen an increase in companies teaming up with schools, businesses and organizations to form initiatives that help communities of color.
Credit: Florida Times-Union Published: 11:38 AM EST December 20, 2020 Updated: 11:38 AM EST December 20, 2020
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. When Mincy Pollock made a pitch to other African-American business owners about joining him as a JAX Chamber member, the response typically was a dismissive why bother shrug.
As much as Pollock sees the chamber as a valuable way for growing his two small businesses Florida Care Insurance and Pollock Group he could understand the skepticism.
Teenagers are natural-born skeptics.
Making them believe the rapidly developed COVID-19 vaccine is not only safe but necessary will require a mix of science and guilt. They must understand both the science of how the vaccine came to be and why it is crucial to young people as well as their more vulnerable older family members, according to area medical professionals. It s hard to convince young people of the risk … I m not sure I need this, I feel fine, said Kelli Tice Wells, senior medical director at Florida Blue and former director of the Duval County Health Department. Because of what the vaccine means for us, we have to have a series of conversations to allow their concerns to be told.