JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida approved $3 million to support programs in northwest Jacksonville aimed at boosting small businesses, helping nonprofits, preventing crime and expanding workforce and youth services, state and local officials announced Thursday.
Rep. Wyman Duggan, joined by Councilwoman Jacoby Pittman and Sheriff T.K. Waters, said the money was included in the governor’s budget and will be routed to local organizations that “already know what’s needed and are already doing the critical, hard work.” Duggan announced the funding at a ceremony near the site of the August 2023 Dollar General shooting that killed three people.
“When you invest in a community, you don’t just change lives, you save them,” Duggan said.
Officials said the funding will stay local and be allocated based on community input. The Beaver Street Enterprise Center, led by Terrance Brisbane, will help facilitate distribution and implement a district‑10 initiative focused on workforce training, food access, business support and youth prevention programs.
Brisbane said the district program represents about $2 million of the investment and is expected to generate more than $5.6 million in direct economic impact in the first year. The initiative will include industry‑recognized training in high‑demand fields such as industrial trades and health care, expanded food distribution and technical assistance for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Local providers are already using the funds, organizers said. James Coleman, who runs an industrial training program, said classes that began in February have trained 35 students with about a 95% completion rate and roughly 85% job placement. Sharon Marshall of Sharon Nursing Academy said her program has trained 51 nursing assistants and helped 12 students become licensed nurses.
“This community is worthy,” Pittman told attendees, urging residents to view the investment as a shift in how resources are shared with historically underserved neighborhoods.
Officials credited years of advocacy and partnerships with state and city leaders for securing the money and said local groups and the Department of Children and Families finalized details for distribution. They described the funding as a long‑term investment in stability and economic opportunity rather than a short‑term response.
The announcement follows ongoing efforts to address public safety and social needs after the 2023 shooting, with officials saying the new funding is part of a strategy to prevent violence by strengthening economic and community supports.
The full list of programs expected to receive money:
Beaver Street Enterprise Center (will help facilitate distribution and implement the district‑10 initiative)
Florida Department of Children and Families (finalized distribution details with Beaver Street Enterprise Center)
Sharon Marshall Nursing Academy
James Coleman’s industrial training program
Clara’s Grow and Go
Farm Share
Feeding Northeast Florida
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