ORANGE PARK\u00a0\u2013 When the Sophia Fleming Chapter of the\u00a0Daughters\u00a0of the American Revolution asked for nominations for its Community Service Award, the organization\u00a0probably never\u00a0realized it would get\u00a0such a deserving, much less two, candidate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One has spent 36 years as the Director of the Food Pantry of Green Cove Springs, Green Cove Springs Planning and Zoning Board and Tree Board and a volunteer for the NAS Jacksonville Pharmacy, while the other\u00a0was the former Mayor of Orange Park, the founder of Impact Clay that spearheaded the College Drive Initiative, Impact Clay Train\u00a0and a mobile care team that travels to underserved areas of the county to provide medical and mental health check-ups, benefits, food and clothing distribution, free haircuts and showers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, March 10, the DAR honored\u00a0Wynema Lovell and Connie Thomas with\u00a0its\u00a0Community Service Awards during their meeting at the Orange Park Lions Club.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clay County School Board member Beth Clark presented both\u00a0with the\u00a0prestigious\u00a0award.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lovell started the Food Pantry\u00a0with her husband and son in 1989, and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0grown into a group that\u00a0provides\u00a0emergency food for thousands of families and individuals every week in Green Cove Springs, Fleming Island, Middleburg, Fleming Island and Keystone Heights.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lovell helps keep the shelves filled with food by organizing food drives, donations\u00a0and creating partnerships with Waste Not Want Not and\u00a0local grocery stores.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In 2024, the Food Pantry served 13,932 individuals \u2013 all with 90 volunteers and no paid staff.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thomas\u2019s Impact Clay makes a monthly stop at one of four underserved areas of the county \u2013 Clay Hill Elementary, Green Cove Springs Junior High, Keystone Heights Junior\u00a0High\u00a0and Grove Park Elementary \u2013 where an assortment of free services are provided\u00a0without appointments or registrations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another one of Impact Clay\u2019s programs has been the creation of\u00a0Linksy, a website that coordinates the county\u2019s nonprofits and services in a single place.\u00a0All residents are encouraged to sign up at\u00a0impactclay.org\/linksy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thomas\u2019 organization also helps in disaster relief,\u00a0organizes community partnerships to collectively solve\u00a0problems\u00a0and\u00a0offers\u00a0a low-cost business suite at its\u00a0office at\u00a0151 College Dr., Suites 1 and 2.<\/p>\n
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