Health and Wellness Fair coming to Melrose on June 4

MELROSE – The Melrose Center will host a Health and Wellness Fair on June 4 from noon to 5 p.m. in the lot at 307 State Road 26.
The fair will feature walk-up COVID-19 vaccinations, wellness and health classes, diabetes screening and testing, high blood pressure screening, referral to low-cost or free health care services referrals to paid health research studies, chair massages, acupuncture information, free vegetarian or meat lasagna with a COVID vaccination and music.
The fair is presented by the Florida Department of Health-Putnam County, UF HealthStreet, Southern HIV and Alcohol Research Consortium of the University of Florida, the Melrose Senior Healthcare Center of North Florida and Lake Area Massage.

Women’s Giving Alliance kicks Off 20th-anniversary celebration

CLAY COUNTY – The Women’s Giving Alliance, an initiative of The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, today kicked off its 20th Anniversary celebration at its annual Member Forum with the announcement of $587,500 in grants to 10 Northeast Florida nonprofits.
“Harnessing the power of collective giving, the Women’s Giving Alliance has awarded more than $7.6 million in grants to 68 non-profit community partners since its founding to improve the lives of women and girls in Northeast Florida,” said Jan Healy, president of WGA and Founder and President of Renewing Dignity. “We are a dynamic and diverse group of more than 400 women committed to our mission, which includes grantmaking to improve the lives of the most marginalized women and girls in our community.”
Two organizations in Clay County shared in the benefits, including:
• Generation USA: Information Technology and Administrative Medical Assistant Programs. Generation USA is a boot camp-style training program that focuses on the technical and soft skills employers say are most needed in the workforce. Generation USA partners with local employers to provide full-time jobs or paid internships upon successful completion of the training. The $75,000 grant will provide a stipend to 70 women in training and 24 in internships so they can afford to participate full-time in the IT and Administrative Medical Assistant programs.
• Generation W: Generation WOW. The Generation WOW program provides girls in middle and high school with mentorship, guidance, and specific tools to better navigate post-secondary education and potential careers. Th$75,000 grant will allow 75 girls to participate in Generation WOW clubs designed specifically for girls who are at or near the poverty level, including those in rural areas, by providing tablets and accessibility resources so they may participate in remote learning activities.

At the meeting, WGA shared priorities from its new strategic plan, which include simplifying grantmaking processes to reduce administrative burdens on grant applicants; analyzing new approaches to grantmaking such as through trust-based philanthropy; and strengthening the organization’s operating budget to support growth. WGA has also formalized its ongoing focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), both in its membership and in the women and girls supported by WGA grants.
“From the beginning, WGA has sought to be inclusive and bring women with a diversity of opinions, experiences, ideas and passions—in addition to demographic diversity—into the fold,” said Ann-Marie Knight, chair of the WGA DEI Committee and Vice President, Community Engagement and Chief Diversity Officer, UF Health Jacksonville. “Now, we are being more deliberate about how we structure our recruiting of new members and our grantmaking to address the different experiences of women and girls of color.”
WGA will celebrate its 20th Anniversary throughout 2021 and 2022 with activities for members, grantees and the broader Northeast Florida community. Stay tuned to www.wganefl.org for more information about the Anniversary Celebrations and to learn more about WGA.