JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – When I started planning Dear Jacksonville, my 50th birthday celebration and love letter to the city I’ve called home for 21 years, I knew I wanted the evening to be about more than celebrating a milestone.
Jacksonville has given me so much. A career, a family, friendships and a community that has embraced me in ways I never could have imagined when I first arrived.
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I wanted this celebration to be an opportunity to give something back.
That’s why I’ve chosen Empowerment Resources, Inc. (ERI) as the charitable beneficiary of Dear Jacksonville, with part of the proceeds supporting its work with girls, young people and families across our community.
A connection that stayed with me
I’ve known ERI founder Elexia Coleman-Moss for years. I’ve had the opportunity to emcee events, connect the organization with resources and share experiences with the young women in its Journey Into Womanhood program.
ERI (Empowerment Resources)
But there’s one moment that has stayed with me.
Years ago, I spoke to a group of girls in the program. Sometime afterward, I saw that one of those young women had taken my photograph and paired it with a quote from something I’d said.
I don’t remember everything I shared with the girls that day. But she remembered something.
And that meant more to me than she probably realized.
It reminded me that our words have purpose. That the platform I’ve been given has power. And that we don’t always know when something we say might encourage someone else.
I went there hoping to inspire those girls. One of them ended up inspiring me.
23 years of showing up
What I admire about Elexia is her persistence.
For 23 years, she’s continued finding ways to serve Jacksonville families, even as the needs of the community have changed and the challenges of running a nonprofit have grown.
Empowerment Resources describes itself as small but mighty, and I think that’s fitting.
Many people know ERI through Journey Into Womanhood, but its work extends beyond that program. Through three programs, the organization supports youth development, parenting education and family empowerment.
I’ve watched Elexia adapt, evolve and keep moving forward in a nonprofit world where resources are often limited and the needs never seem to be.
In 2024, we recognized her work through our News4JAX Positively JAX series. It was an opportunity to share with viewers what I’d known for years: Elexia has built something meaningful, and she’s committed to seeing it continue.
But organizations like ERI cannot do this work alone.
They need volunteers, community partners, financial support and people who believe in the possibilities they create.
Turning a celebration into something more
As I thought about what Dear Jacksonville could represent, supporting Empowerment Resources felt like a natural extension of the story I wanted to tell.
Documentary Photographer Brandi Hill captures Empowerment Resources’ Journey into Womanhood’s Celebration at Jacksonville’s WJCT Public Broadcasting. (Empowerment Resources, Inc.)
This city has given me a platform. Elexia’s work helped remind me what I could do with it.
Now I have an opportunity to use that platform to help support the next generation of girls and families.
On Thursday, Oct. 29, I’ll celebrate my 50th birthday at the Ritz Theatre & Museum with Dear Jacksonville: A Love Letter, 21 Years in the Making.
It will be an evening of storytelling, music, performances and reflection on the people and experiences that have shaped my life here.
And I’m grateful that part of the proceeds will support Empowerment Resources.
How you can be part of the impact
Whether you’re joining us at the Ritz or supporting from home, there are ways to make a difference.
Attend Dear Jacksonville: Tickets are available through Ticketmaster for the October 29 celebration. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show begins at 7 p.m. Part of the proceeds will benefit ERI.
Make a direct donation: We’ve created a special fundraising campaign, Dear Jacksonville: Turning a Love Letter Into Impact, where contributions go directly to Empowerment Resources.
Donate to Empowerment Resources through the Dear Jacksonville campaign
Get involved: ERI also welcomes volunteers, community partners and ongoing financial support. Learn more at EmpowermentResourcesInc.org.
As I approach 50, I’m increasingly aware that some of the most meaningful things we leave behind aren’t the awards we receive or the milestones we celebrate.
They’re the lives we touch, the opportunities we create and the people we help along the way.
Elexia has spent 23 years doing exactly that.
And I’m grateful for the opportunity to help her continue.
That’s what I hope this love letter to Jacksonville can become: not just a celebration of what this city has given me, but an investment in what we can give back.
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