Better Together honors Jacksonville community partners

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - June 21, 2023 - PRLog -- Better Together, a nonprofit dedicated to families and children, recently honored members of the Northeast Florida region who have gone above and beyond to serve the mission of Better Together.

"Our donors, volunteers, partners and supporters help families to overcome devastating crises and to rise up stronger than ever," said Megan Rose, CEO of Better Together. "While all of our supporters have a vital role in our success, we were honored to recognize several individuals and organizations for their tremendous generosity and support."

Better Together recognized supporters for their impact during the Doing Good Together appreciation reception held May 5 at Church of Eleven22. Honorees include:

• Host Family of the Year was presented to the Heflin family. Samantha and Steven Heflin say yes every time a child is in need.
• Mentor of the Year was awarded to Brittany Lauren. When a mom who had no support system went into labor, Lauren held her hand through every contraction.
• Church Partner of the Year was presented to Bold City Church, led by Pastor Jason Masters. In addition to financial contributions in support of Better Together's mission, the church also has provided last-minute supplies for families, loaded up moving trucks, prayed over families and connected parents with people who support them.
• Community Partner of the Year was awarded to First Coast Women's Services. The organization is a pillar community partner, referring families to Better Together and working hard to provide for families in need.
• Department of Children and Families Partner of the Year was presented to Jessica Currey. Currey is dedicated to serving and loving families, and she has been invaluable in connecting Better Together to community resources and partners who work together to help families in the community.
• Doug Campbell Generosity Award was awarded to Richard and Susan Cirucci. Not only generous donors to Better Together, the Ciruccis also serve with their time and expertise as a host family, and Rick Cirucci also serves on Better Together's community advisory board.

Better Together is made up of two programs – Better Families and Better Jobs – that help parents who are going through a hard time to keep their kids out of foster care, find work and address the root causes of their struggle so that they can reunite as a family with the tools and support system to thrive.

With the help of donors and hundreds of volunteers and church communities, Better Together builds lasting support systems that help families cope with hardships – such as job loss, substance abuse, homelessness and jail time – and ensures that children are cared for in a safe home until the family can be reunited. To date, the program has served over 5,400 children and kept 98% of families together, while helping 39,000 job seekers across 22 states find employment.