Discover the Power of Your Library!

Did you know that a single card can unlock a world of knowledge, entertainment, and opportunity? That card is your library card—and there’s no better time to get one than this month, because September is Library Card Sign-Up Month!

Kids Hope Alliance is proud to celebrate this moment and deeply values our partnership with the Jacksonville Public Library, whose commitment to education and lifelong learning strengthens our entire community. We also join Mayor Donna Deegan, the City Council, and the American Library Association in recognizing the vital role libraries play in connecting people to knowledge, resources, and opportunity.

Why Get a Library Card?

A library card is more than just access to books—it’s your passport to a universe of resources:

📚 Books, eBooks, and Audiobooks – Explore everything from bestsellers to classics without spending a dime.

🎬 Movies and TV Shows – Stream or borrow your favorite films and series.

🎧 Music and Podcasts – Access free music platforms and curated listening.

💻 Free Internet & Technology – Use public computers, Wi-Fi, printing, and more.

🎓 Learning Resources – Take online courses, learn languages, get career help, and find homework support.

🎲 Fun for All Ages – Enjoy story times, workshops, book clubs, and year-round events.

How to Get a Library Card

It’s simple! Visit any of Jacksonville’s 21 locations or apply online.

Every student in the Duval County School system is eligible for a free, fine-free Student Card. Just enter a student ID number to unlock access to library resources across the city.

Whether you’re a student, job seeker, parent, or lifelong learner, a library card opens the door to endless possibilities. This Library Card Sign-Up Month, Kids Hope Alliance encourages you to help your neighbors, friends, and family discover all that the Jacksonville Public Library has to offer.

We would like to highlight two of our KHA staff members. Jerelyn Allen has been with Kids Hope Alliance for 10 years. Congratulations!!

Also, we want to say a special congratulations to Suwandail Garner on being Employee of the Month. We appreciate both of you!!

Thank you for being our partner in creating a safer, more vibrant community for our youngest citizens here in Jacksonville. We look forward to further collaboration and celebration of the difference we make, hand in hand.



Hispanic Heritage Month is upon us, and Duval County students have a chance to be a part of it. Students in grades 4-12 can enter the essay contest by sharing your voice and honoring the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic Americans. This is in partnership with the Jaguars Foundation.

The deadline is approaching. The last day to submit your essays is tomorrow at noon. For more information, click here.

A new app created for teens by teens. I'm A Star students created EmpowerMe, to aid in their mental health. The app provides daily affirmations and offers mini games to foster in teens' mental health. The app is available in the App Store and Google Play. For more information, click here.

Charity for Change is a Florida-based nonprofit that is offering an award-winning character education curriculum. This is designed to boost academic performance, improve behavior, and build resiliency in youth. Elementary-aged students will be able to gain critical character traits such as kindness, responsibility, and respect, all while developing empathy through community involvement. And it's completely FREE!!! To learn more about the program, and to sign up, click here.

Kindergarten shouldn’t feel like a big leap. It should be a natural next step. Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) helps children build key skills like memory, focus, and self-control—while also nurturing curiosity and the joy of discovery. When they attend regularly, VPK students start kindergarten feeling ready, confident, and excited for what’s ahead.

To register your child for VPK, click here or call 904-208-2044

Champion Swim School has another location for swimming lessons! The Carlyle Apartments in Bartram Park is open now through October 2nd. These classes are open to everyone. To sign up, click here. You will also be able to see which schedule will work for you. They even have scholarships available for those in need. Just email them here.

Come have another family movie night at the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp Stadium. The event is Saturday, September 27th. Gates open at 6:00pm and the movie will start at 7:00pm. Entry fees on only $1!! You are welcome to bring blankets, strollers, and wagons, but no outside food or drinks.

Searching for something to do this weekend? Check out Jacksonville's event page. It has tons of events from the Jacksonville Icemen games to the Jax Symphony to Ritz Museum After Dark.

For a list of events happening around town, click here.

The Max Block Food Pantry Annual match challenge is back. Now through September 30th, the Block family will provide a match for all gifts made to the Max Block Food Pantry. To donate, click here.

Transportation is vital for accessing essential services. United Way's Ride Unlimited Program bridges this gap with those who are in need. United Way has partnered with Lyft to enable 211 callers to request transportation to an essential location and receive a ride for free or at a discounted rate. Since its launch in 2018, more than 500,000 rides have been completed. All you have to do is call 211 for assistance, they will check for resources, and a ride will arrive. For more information, click here.

Mayor's Transparency Dashboards

As a continued effort to provide transparency across the city, we have created the Mayor’s Transparency Dashboards. With these Dashboards, we hope to give citizens the chance to see how our resources are being used in our day-to-day lives.

By providing these Dashboards "at a glance," we hope to tell the narratives that make the City of Jacksonville what it is today. From the volunteers and adopters who help our furry friends at Animal Care and Protective Services, to those who help to push our industry and homes forward in a new streamlined process with Permitting, to Public Works who keeps our city beautiful and clean, to helping our readers exceed our reading goals with River City Readers, you can see just how much work truly goes into our city.

With our combined efforts, we can bring to light a NEW DAY for the City of Jacksonville.

Hurricane season is underway and now is the time to prepare you and your family for the upcoming season. Forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) predict an above-normal season. It's important to have a family preparedness plan, stock up on supplies, and to know your evacuation zones. For more information about being prepared for the hurricane season, click here.

2025 Ben & Jerry’s Foundation: National Grassroots Organizing Grant Program

Application deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through Oct. 2025.

Geographic scope: United States, including U.S. territories

Grant amount: Up to $30,000 per year, with an average size of $20,000 per year

Description: The goal of the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation is to further racial equity and social and environmental justice in the U.S. by supporting organizations working at the community level to dismantle discriminatory systems. The National Grassroots Organizing Grant Program offers two-year unrestricted, general operating support grants to small, constituent-led grassroots organizations throughout the United States and its territories. Support is provided to organizations that are led by people working to help themselves and their communities create progressive change through organizing campaigns and movement building efforts aimed at dismantling systems of oppression and the legacies of white supremacy culture. Applicants must be nonprofits with 501(c)3 status (or have a fiscal agent), have an annual operating budget under $350,000, use grassroots, base-building organizing campaigns as the primary strategy for creating social change, and be U.S.-based and U.S.-focused.

Microsoft for Nonprofits Grant

Eligibility Requirements: Nonprofits or non-governmental organizations, public libraries, and public museums

Length of eligibility: Two years

Type of grants: Software, Cloud Services, and Subscriptions

Description: Microsoft provides grants and discounted solutions to eligible nonprofits. The nonprofits must provide relief to the poor, advance education, improve social welfare, preserve culture, restore the environment, promote human rights, and/or establish civil society.

For more information on how to apply, click here.

Family Support Group

Additional Resources

Northwest Behavioral Health Services

2392 Edgewood Ave., N

Jacksonville, FL 32254

www.nwbh.org

Counseling, Psychiatric & Medication Management..........................904-781-7797 (Adults)

Targeted Case Management Services..............................................904-781-0600 (Children)

Trauma Crisis Support Hotline & Mobile Services........................................1-833-987-2682

Students are required by law to attend school regularly. When students miss too many days, they become in danger of truancy. Students who miss five days within a calendar month or 10 days in a 90-day period are considered truant by the Duval County School district. Students and parents can face serious consequences.

Parents, the district wants to support you in getting your child to school every day. Here's what you can do to ensure your child has great attendance:



• Make school attendance a priority. Create and maintain daily routines, such as homework, picking out school clothes the night before, and creating a backup plan to get your child to school in case an emergency comes up.
• Keep your child engaged in school. Talk to your child about school bullies, behavioral issues, and school policies, as these can be some reasons why kids do not want to go to school. Also, see what type of after-school programs they would want to be a part of.
• Communicate with the school. Monitor your child's academic progress and reach out to your child's teachers with any concerns.

Attendance allows students to put their best foot forward on the path to success. If children are not at school, they miss out on the fundamentals of learning. Click here for more information about attendance.

United Way of NEFL Volunteerism

Get Involved. Make a Difference.