Robert V. Lee
Encyclopedia
The Rev. Dr. Robert Vernon Lee, III, is a humanitarian, Episcopal priest and is chairman and CEO of Jacksonville, Florida
-based nonprofit FreshMinistries and its international arm, Be The Change International. Dr. Lee is responsible for the creation of a number of unique and successful global initiatives and partnerships addressing issues of poverty worldwide. In the United States, efforts began with programs vital to the restoration of core-city Jacksonville. He has also spearheaded partnerships in Africa
designed to combat HIV/AIDS and to address the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals
, uniquely addressing all goals at once.
to Colonel Robert V. Lee, Jr. and Cynthia Warren Lee. He is a renowned Episcopal Priest, Humanitarian, and Founder/CEO and Chairman of FreshMinistries and Be The Change International.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University
and continued graduate studies in journalism at the University of Georgia
. Upon accepting his calling into the ministry, he earned a master’s of divinity from Yale University
and a doctorate of theology from New York Theological Seminary
.
After serving as rector of Church of Our Saviour in Jacksonville, Florida, Dr. Lee was called to establish a new kind of ministry. Having created the concept for FreshMinistries in 1988 and incorporating it into a working 501(c)(3) in 1989, Dr. Lee elevated the organization to a full-time ministry in 1994.
It was his dream to bring his ministry out of the church and into the community to serve all faiths and races. His interfaith, interracial outreach unites people in need and the people who have resources to share with the less fortunate. Dr. Lee’s mission for FreshMinistries and its partners is to utilize all available resources as tools to empower individuals in need with opportunities to improve their lives and those of their families. These opportunities, provided through the many programs of FreshMinistries, work through education, economic redevelopment, health initiatives and housing in communities throughout the world.
Currently serving as a non-stipendiary Canon
for Outreach and Ecuminism in the Diocese of Florida, he's also served parishes in Connecticut
and Florida
.
He has served as the Chairman of the Interfaith Sub-Committee of the 2005 Super Bowl Host Committee in Jacksonville and as a director for: St. Mary’s Outreach Ministry in Jacksonville, the Samaritan Center, Dignity-U-Wear, Christian Healing Ministries, and the Florida Council of Churches.
By appointment of Governor Jeb Bush
, Dr. Lee currently serves as a member of the Governor’s Faith-based Advisory Board for the state of Florida.
As a mayoral appointee he also serves on the Mayor’s Faith-based and Community Advisory Board for the city of Jacksonville. Dr. Lee is also the first head of a not-for-profit organization to serve as a Director on the Board of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce.
He also serves on the board of directors for the Jacksonville Interfaith Council, Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville (HabiJax), and the Jacksonville Urban League. He is also a member of the Compass Rose Society, an organization of the Anglican Communion
serving the Archbishop of Canterbury
.
By appointment of Queen Elizabeth II, Dr. Lee has also been inducted into the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.
Dr. Lee was appointed by President George W. Bush
and continues to serve under President Barack Obama
as a key member of the inaugural President's Council On Financial Literacy.
He currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida with his wife, Mirte de Boer Lee, and his two children, Robert V. Lee IV and Rebecca A. Lee.
, Mozambique
and Namibia
. Dr. Lee helped initiate a partnership between FreshMinistries and the Church of the Province of Southern Africa to utilize the Anglican Church's presence and existing infrastructure to administer peer-based HIV/AIDS prevention programs. Siyafundisa had a 2009 annual target reach of 32,340 youth.
approached Dr. Lee about bringing worldwide the 6-Point Community Initiative, a holistic approach to community improvement that has been successful in Jacksonville, FL. Dr. Lee began talks with Hellen Wangusa, Anglican Observer at the United Nations
; and Olara Otunnu
, president of the LBL Foundation for Children, winner of the German Africa Prize in 2002 and the Sydney Peace Prize
in 2005, and 2011 Uganda
presidential candidate, about creating a Global Action Partnership (GAP) that would address all of the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals
at once, the first program of its kind. In November 2009, GAP was signed into existence in New York City
.
The creation of GAP was given a boost within the Anglican community by receiving the approval and support of the Archbishop of Canterbury
, The Most Reverend Dr. Rowan Williams, at a dinner during the Episcopal Church's General Convention in 2009.
Response to 2010 Haiti earthquake
In the wake of Haiti's devastating earthquake in 2010, FreshMinistries/Be The Change International (BTCI) was asked by the US Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate a major aid and relief operation there. When Dr. Lee visited Hait
i soon after, he saw that Haiti wasn't in need of just immediate aid, but also long-term, holistic improvement to positively effect every aspect of Haitian society. Soon, the concept for "Tomorrow's Haiti" was on paper and partners began to sign up.
“Tomorrow’s Haiti” will create initiatives in Haiti that will simultaneously address education, economic development, health, safety, safe shelter and clean water, and family foundations. The program will be the first of its kind, addressing all of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals
at once, modeled on FreshMinistries’ successful HIV/AIDS education program in South Africa, "Siyafundisa", in which it partnered with the Episcopal Diocese in South Africa
, as well as FreshMinistries/BTCI’s thriving holistic approach to creating long-term sustainable change in inner-city Jacksonville.
Currently, the program is using the Episcopal
churches and 254 schools within BAEH’s network as community centers from which to distribute relief aid to the Haitian people and introduce the community to the “Tomorrow’s Haiti” empowerment plan.
By starting with education – including vocational and life skills training for young adults, as well as HIV/AIDS health curriculum introduced into the BAEH schools – “Tomorrow’s Haiti” will empower Haiti’s people to lift themselves up. From there, “Tomorrow’s Haiti” will become a holistic initiative, based on UNICEF’s Child-Friendly City model, which will address the needs stated by word leaders and the Haitian Prime Minister during the United Nations Haiti Donors Conference in 2010.
So far, BTCI as signed memorandums of understanding with: The Rt. Rev. Jean-Zache Duracin, Bishop of Episcopal Diocese of Haiti
; and The Honorable Jacques-Edouard Alexis
, former Haitian Prime Minister and National Director of Centre National de Recherche et de Formation (CENAREF).
To date, BTCI’s emergency relief effort has shipped to the Haitian people many supplies, including three ambulances (one of which was delivered to the Haitian government), emergency aid, food, water, water purification systems, clothing, school supplies, large generators, and 147 large tents to serve as temporary schools and shelter. BTCI plans to ship more than 100 additional large tents to serve as schools and shelter, as well as medical equipment such as surgical beds.
Former Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney said, "FreshMinistries is one of the best things going on in Jacksonville. They're living proof of the power of the spirit in our political and economic life."
In 2006, Dr. Lee was named a "Change Agent" by the Florida Times-Union for creating FreshMinistries, "helping people start businesses, revitalize their neighborhoods and get out of debt."
The initiative works in a number of ways, including focusing on partnerships with local, state and national organizations and government agencies. At times, FreshMinistries becomes the lead agency in managing a project. Other times, it is a partner with other agencies working toward similar goals. Notable partners include former Florida Governor Jeb Bush
, Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton
, Duval County School Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals, and Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford
.
A unique aspect of the initiative is that it works toward developing other programs, initiatives and improvements that will be self-sufficient and community-owned, constantly customizing and updating the needs based on what the community says it needs. According to Dr. Lee:
"If a community doesn’t want to help itself, you can’t force the help upon them. We know that only when a community champions its own cause and takes ownership of the potential improvements can this be truly successful."
"Small grassroots efforts are more effective in working with individual communities than large-scale efforts because they are able to customize and personalize their approaches and adapt quickly to changing needs."
Also responsible for the drop in crime were neighborhood cleanups and several neighborhood anti-crime walks organized by FreshMinistries to include Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford, local council persons, area patrol officers and neighborhood leaders.
(PAL), and the rest of FreshMinistries’ initiatives that focus on community improvement and safety.
Award for Excellence in Financial Education to FreshMinistries for its Individual Development Account (IDA) Partnership and its work in providing financial education to Jacksonville, FL communities.
Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton
said, "We're honored to have Jacksonville chosen to participate in this worthwhile new initiative. Our existing efforts, under the leadership of FreshMinistries, recognized in 2005 by the U.S. Treasury for Excellence in Financial Literacy … will be able to reach more low-to-moderate income families and help them save for the future."
training program for underemployed and unemployed adults. The program includes hands-on training, life skills training and job placement assistance via partnerships with local hotels. The program is generally considered life-changing for most of its students.
visited the incubator in September 2007, calling BSEC “an excellent model for other communities to follow.”
training program for Eastside neighborhood adults who are unemployed and underemployed. The program's first cycle has successfully trained 25 adults, with all graduates of the program guaranteed jobs through Atlantic Marine as they become available.
, as part of a city-wide effort to revitalize economic growth in the Springfield
neighborhood. The building now houses nonprofits and small businesses that are also working to restore Springfield.
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
-based nonprofit FreshMinistries and its international arm, Be The Change International. Dr. Lee is responsible for the creation of a number of unique and successful global initiatives and partnerships addressing issues of poverty worldwide. In the United States, efforts began with programs vital to the restoration of core-city Jacksonville. He has also spearheaded partnerships in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
designed to combat HIV/AIDS and to address the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...
, uniquely addressing all goals at once.
Biography
Dr. Robert Vernon Lee, III, was born January 14, 1951 in El Paso, TexasEl Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
to Colonel Robert V. Lee, Jr. and Cynthia Warren Lee. He is a renowned Episcopal Priest, Humanitarian, and Founder/CEO and Chairman of FreshMinistries and Be The Change International.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
and continued graduate studies in journalism at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
. Upon accepting his calling into the ministry, he earned a master’s of divinity from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and a doctorate of theology from New York Theological Seminary
New York Theological Seminary
The New York Theological Seminary was established as a non-denominational institution in 1900 with the founding of the Bible Teachers’ College in Montclair, New Jersey by Wilbert Webster White. President White moved the school to New York City in 1902, when it was renamed the Bible Teachers’...
.
After serving as rector of Church of Our Saviour in Jacksonville, Florida, Dr. Lee was called to establish a new kind of ministry. Having created the concept for FreshMinistries in 1988 and incorporating it into a working 501(c)(3) in 1989, Dr. Lee elevated the organization to a full-time ministry in 1994.
It was his dream to bring his ministry out of the church and into the community to serve all faiths and races. His interfaith, interracial outreach unites people in need and the people who have resources to share with the less fortunate. Dr. Lee’s mission for FreshMinistries and its partners is to utilize all available resources as tools to empower individuals in need with opportunities to improve their lives and those of their families. These opportunities, provided through the many programs of FreshMinistries, work through education, economic redevelopment, health initiatives and housing in communities throughout the world.
Currently serving as a non-stipendiary Canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
for Outreach and Ecuminism in the Diocese of Florida, he's also served parishes in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
He has served as the Chairman of the Interfaith Sub-Committee of the 2005 Super Bowl Host Committee in Jacksonville and as a director for: St. Mary’s Outreach Ministry in Jacksonville, the Samaritan Center, Dignity-U-Wear, Christian Healing Ministries, and the Florida Council of Churches.
By appointment of Governor Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...
, Dr. Lee currently serves as a member of the Governor’s Faith-based Advisory Board for the state of Florida.
As a mayoral appointee he also serves on the Mayor’s Faith-based and Community Advisory Board for the city of Jacksonville. Dr. Lee is also the first head of a not-for-profit organization to serve as a Director on the Board of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce.
He also serves on the board of directors for the Jacksonville Interfaith Council, Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville (HabiJax), and the Jacksonville Urban League. He is also a member of the Compass Rose Society, an organization of the Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
serving the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
.
By appointment of Queen Elizabeth II, Dr. Lee has also been inducted into the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.
Dr. Lee was appointed by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and continues to serve under President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
as a key member of the inaugural President's Council On Financial Literacy.
He currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida with his wife, Mirte de Boer Lee, and his two children, Robert V. Lee IV and Rebecca A. Lee.
International Partnerships
Dr. Lee is responsible for creating several important and unique partnerships to extend the FreshMinistries vision globally.Siyafundisa
FreshMinistries' track record of positively affecting poverty-related problems and administering grants led to a 5-year, $10 million USAID grant in 2004 for HIV/AIDS education in South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
and Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
. Dr. Lee helped initiate a partnership between FreshMinistries and the Church of the Province of Southern Africa to utilize the Anglican Church's presence and existing infrastructure to administer peer-based HIV/AIDS prevention programs. Siyafundisa had a 2009 annual target reach of 32,340 youth.
Global Action Partnership
In 2009, The Anglican CommunionAnglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
approached Dr. Lee about bringing worldwide the 6-Point Community Initiative, a holistic approach to community improvement that has been successful in Jacksonville, FL. Dr. Lee began talks with Hellen Wangusa, Anglican Observer at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
; and Olara Otunnu
Olara Otunnu
Dr.Olara A. Otunnu is a Lawyer and the President of the Uganda Peoples Congressand a Presidential Aspirant for the 2011 General elections in Uganda...
, president of the LBL Foundation for Children, winner of the German Africa Prize in 2002 and the Sydney Peace Prize
Sydney Peace Prize
The Sydney Peace Prize is awarded by the Sydney Peace Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation associated with the University of Sydney. The Sydney Peace Prize is the only International Peace Prize awarded in Australia....
in 2005, and 2011 Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
presidential candidate, about creating a Global Action Partnership (GAP) that would address all of the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...
at once, the first program of its kind. In November 2009, GAP was signed into existence in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
The creation of GAP was given a boost within the Anglican community by receiving the approval and support of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, The Most Reverend Dr. Rowan Williams, at a dinner during the Episcopal Church's General Convention in 2009.
Response to 2010 Haiti earthquake2010 Haiti earthquakeThe 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
In the wake of Haiti's devastating earthquake in 2010, FreshMinistries/Be The Change International (BTCI) was asked by the US Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate a major aid and relief operation there. When Dr. Lee visited HaitHait
Hait, a region in Tajikistan, a strategic, land-locked mountainous country in Central Asia, is the site of one of the world's worst earthquakes last century....
i soon after, he saw that Haiti wasn't in need of just immediate aid, but also long-term, holistic improvement to positively effect every aspect of Haitian society. Soon, the concept for "Tomorrow's Haiti" was on paper and partners began to sign up.
“Tomorrow’s Haiti” will create initiatives in Haiti that will simultaneously address education, economic development, health, safety, safe shelter and clean water, and family foundations. The program will be the first of its kind, addressing all of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...
at once, modeled on FreshMinistries’ successful HIV/AIDS education program in South Africa, "Siyafundisa", in which it partnered with the Episcopal Diocese in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, as well as FreshMinistries/BTCI’s thriving holistic approach to creating long-term sustainable change in inner-city Jacksonville.
Currently, the program is using the Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
churches and 254 schools within BAEH’s network as community centers from which to distribute relief aid to the Haitian people and introduce the community to the “Tomorrow’s Haiti” empowerment plan.
By starting with education – including vocational and life skills training for young adults, as well as HIV/AIDS health curriculum introduced into the BAEH schools – “Tomorrow’s Haiti” will empower Haiti’s people to lift themselves up. From there, “Tomorrow’s Haiti” will become a holistic initiative, based on UNICEF’s Child-Friendly City model, which will address the needs stated by word leaders and the Haitian Prime Minister during the United Nations Haiti Donors Conference in 2010.
So far, BTCI as signed memorandums of understanding with: The Rt. Rev. Jean-Zache Duracin, Bishop of Episcopal Diocese of Haiti
Episcopal Diocese of Haiti
The Episcopal Diocese of Haiti is the Anglican Communion diocese consisting of the entire territory of Haiti. It is part of Province 2 of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Its cathedral, Holy Trinity located in the corner of Ave. Mgr...
; and The Honorable Jacques-Edouard Alexis
Jacques-Édouard Alexis
Jacques-Édouard Alexis is a Haitian politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Haiti from 1999 to 2001 and was Prime Minister for a second term from 2006 to 2008 when he was dismissed due to political fallout from food riots....
, former Haitian Prime Minister and National Director of Centre National de Recherche et de Formation (CENAREF).
To date, BTCI’s emergency relief effort has shipped to the Haitian people many supplies, including three ambulances (one of which was delivered to the Haitian government), emergency aid, food, water, water purification systems, clothing, school supplies, large generators, and 147 large tents to serve as temporary schools and shelter. BTCI plans to ship more than 100 additional large tents to serve as schools and shelter, as well as medical equipment such as surgical beds.
Revitalization in Jacksonville
As the chairman of FreshMinistries, Dr. Lee is responsible for a number of initiatives that have dramatically affected the urban core of Jacksonville in positive ways.Former Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney said, "FreshMinistries is one of the best things going on in Jacksonville. They're living proof of the power of the spirit in our political and economic life."
In 2006, Dr. Lee was named a "Change Agent" by the Florida Times-Union for creating FreshMinistries, "helping people start businesses, revitalize their neighborhoods and get out of debt."
6-Point Community Initiative
Dr. Lee created the concept of a holistic model for community revitalization that simultaneously addresses all areas of needed improvement at once. For Jacksonville’s Eastside, these areas are education, affordable housing, economic development, family strengthening, safety and health.The initiative works in a number of ways, including focusing on partnerships with local, state and national organizations and government agencies. At times, FreshMinistries becomes the lead agency in managing a project. Other times, it is a partner with other agencies working toward similar goals. Notable partners include former Florida Governor Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...
, Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton
John Peyton
John Peyton may refer to:*John Peyton, Baron Peyton of Yeovil, , British politician who served as Minister for Transport*John Peyton John Peyton may refer to:*John Peyton, Baron Peyton of Yeovil, (1919–2006), British politician who served as Minister for Transport*John Peyton John Peyton may refer...
, Duval County School Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals, and Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford
John Rutherford
John Rutherford may refer to:* John Rutherford , Scottish professor father of Daniel Rutherford* John Rutherford , governor of Virginia* Jock Rutherford , English footballer...
.
A unique aspect of the initiative is that it works toward developing other programs, initiatives and improvements that will be self-sufficient and community-owned, constantly customizing and updating the needs based on what the community says it needs. According to Dr. Lee:
"If a community doesn’t want to help itself, you can’t force the help upon them. We know that only when a community champions its own cause and takes ownership of the potential improvements can this be truly successful."
"Small grassroots efforts are more effective in working with individual communities than large-scale efforts because they are able to customize and personalize their approaches and adapt quickly to changing needs."
Crime rate drop in Jacksonville's Eastside
In late 2009, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Officer Stephen Gallagher announced at a community meeting on the Eastside that violent crime in the area was down 34 percent and property crime was down 32 percent from 2008. Gallagher credited the Eastside Neighborhood Association, an initiative of FreshMinistries, as an “extremely important” part of the drop in crime.Also responsible for the drop in crime were neighborhood cleanups and several neighborhood anti-crime walks organized by FreshMinistries to include Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford, local council persons, area patrol officers and neighborhood leaders.
Recognition by Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
In August 2008, Dr. Lee and FreshMinistries Communities Empowering Youth (CEY) director, Michelle Hughes, were awarded for their work in the community by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO). This recognition, according to JSO, was for their neighborhood anti-crime walks, CEY’s efforts in assisting the Police Athletic LeaguePolice Athletic League
The Police Athletic League is an organization in many American police departments in which members of the police force coach young people, both boys and girls, in sports, and help with homework and other school-related activities. The purpose is to build character, help strengthen police-community...
(PAL), and the rest of FreshMinistries’ initiatives that focus on community improvement and safety.
FreshMinistries formally recognized by U.S. Treasury
In September 2005, the U.S. Treasury awarded the John ShermanJohn Sherman (politician)
John Sherman, nicknamed "The Ohio Icicle" , was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Ohio during the Civil War and into the late nineteenth century. He served as both Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of State and was the principal author of the Sherman Antitrust Act...
Award for Excellence in Financial Education to FreshMinistries for its Individual Development Account (IDA) Partnership and its work in providing financial education to Jacksonville, FL communities.
Jacksonville chosen for Financial Access Pilot
In April 2008, Jacksonville, FL was chosen as one of eight cities in the U.S. to participate in a new pilot program to “increase financial education and bank and credit union accounts for Americans currently outside of the financial mainstream.” The pilot was recommended by several members of the President’s Council on Financial Literacy, including Dr. Lee.Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton
John Peyton
John Peyton may refer to:*John Peyton, Baron Peyton of Yeovil, , British politician who served as Minister for Transport*John Peyton John Peyton may refer to:*John Peyton, Baron Peyton of Yeovil, (1919–2006), British politician who served as Minister for Transport*John Peyton John Peyton may refer...
said, "We're honored to have Jacksonville chosen to participate in this worthwhile new initiative. Our existing efforts, under the leadership of FreshMinistries, recognized in 2005 by the U.S. Treasury for Excellence in Financial Literacy … will be able to reach more low-to-moderate income families and help them save for the future."
Jacksonville Hospitality Institute
The Jacksonville Hospitality Institute (JHI), a FreshMinistries initiative, is a 9-week free hospitalityHospitality
Hospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travelers...
training program for underemployed and unemployed adults. The program includes hands-on training, life skills training and job placement assistance via partnerships with local hotels. The program is generally considered life-changing for most of its students.
Beaver Street Enterprise Center
The Beaver Street Enterprise Center (BSEC), a FreshMinistries initiative, is a full-service core-city small business incubator, the only one of its kind in Florida. In 2008, the incubator’s clients created 366 new jobs in Jacksonville and generated $16.5 million in taxable revenues. Its tenants have one a number of awards for their success. One of its graduates, A. Harold & Associates, grew to 38 employees and $6.2 million in revenues while at BSEC. Florida Governor Charlie CristCharlie Crist
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General...
visited the incubator in September 2007, calling BSEC “an excellent model for other communities to follow.”
Florida State College at Jacksonville
Dr. Lee was responsible for spearheading a partnership between FreshMinistries and Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) to create a tuition-free, accelerated weldingWelding
Welding is a fabrication or sculptural process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. This is often done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material that cools to become a strong joint, with pressure sometimes...
training program for Eastside neighborhood adults who are unemployed and underemployed. The program's first cycle has successfully trained 25 adults, with all graduates of the program guaranteed jobs through Atlantic Marine as they become available.
Klutho building restoration
In 1998, the City of Jacksonville asked FreshMinistries to take over the restoration of an important historical landmark, The Klutho Apartment Building, designed by Henry John KluthoHenry John Klutho
Henry John Klutho was an American architect of the "Prairie School" style. He helped in the reconstruction of Jacksonville, Florida after the Great Fire of 1901—the largest-ever urban fire in the Southeast—by designing many of the new buildings built after the disaster. This period lasted until...
, as part of a city-wide effort to revitalize economic growth in the Springfield
Springfield, Jacksonville, Florida
Springfield is a historic neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida, located to the north of downtown. Established in 1869, it experienced its greatest growth from the early 1880s through the 1920s...
neighborhood. The building now houses nonprofits and small businesses that are also working to restore Springfield.