\u201cThere have been times where we\u2019ve had to put our finances in front of us and say: \u2018OK, we can afford this medication or we can afford this dinner option,’ \u201d Martell says. \u201cWe have already had to come to that decision and ask: \u2018What\u2019s more important?\u2019<\/p>\n
![\"Jacksonville](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789565771_934_.jpeg\"\/)
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Will Brown<\/p>\n
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Jacksonville Today<\/p>\n
Jacksonville Jaguars punter Logan Cooke helped families affected by childhood cancer enjoy a shopping spree inside a Winn-Dixie in Jacksonville’s Arlington neighborhood on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. Winn-Dixie and the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund combined to provide groceries to 31 families during the middle of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. <\/p>\n
\n\u201cIt\u2019s such an emotional thing to talk about it. It\u2019s hard. You don\u2019t want to have to pick and choose what kid comes first. \u2018They need to eat. He needs to eat. He needs medications.\u2019 You put everything in front of you and, God willing, everything always works out. I\u2019m just so grateful for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nMartell was in foster care and adopted twice. Family and community have helped her and her son amid his diagnosis. Gio, less than 24 hours after his latest hospital stay, was joined by his siblings and multiple cousins on their grocery store adventure.<\/p>\n
Jaguars captains Logan Cooke and Ross Matiscik spent their day off strolling around the Winn-Dixie helping families select the beef, shrimp, rice, detergent, diapers and other household staples that will last them throughout the fall. They were joined by a kicker whose surname is Little, but his heart for children is anything but.<\/p>\n
![\"Jaguars](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789565772_659_.jpeg\"\/)
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Will Brown<\/p>\n
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Jacksonville Today<\/p>\n
Jaguars kicker Cam Little takes a photo with 2-year-old Jacksonville resident Gio Martell. Gio was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma this year. Gio and Little met during a food giveaway sponsored by Winn-Dixie and The Tom Coughlin Jay Fund on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. <\/p>\n
\n My son is so much more than his diagnosis,\u201d Martell says. \u201cWhat defines him is his personality. His smile. He loves (being) outdoors, four-wheelers, camping and fishing. He is an outdoor boy. He loves to be dirty. Ultimately, I hope everyone knows my kid as Gio, not the kid with cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nGio turns 3 on Oct. 7. His mother looks forward to his becoming a \u201cthreenager.\u201d<\/p>\n
The medical debt study concluded middle-income families \u2014 which it defined as families that earn between 200% and 400% of the federal poverty designation \u2014 that face childhood illnesses need more support.<\/p>\n
Breakthroughs to break bread<\/p>\n
\nThat is where The Jay Fund assists.<\/p>\n
\nThis month was the third time The Jay Fund has partnered with The Players Championship to provide a grocery run.<\/p>\n
\nA majority of\u00a0the families it serves in Jacksonville self-describe as\u00a0food insecure. An internal survey found 73% of the families it serves face nonmedical family expenses increasing by more than $250 a month. Meanwhile, 93% of Jay Fund families face a decrease in household income.<\/p>\n
Its CEO, Keli Coughlin Joyce, says providing families with an opportunity to load up on groceries means they do not have to make tough decisions between paying for food, paying for gas or paying for prescriptions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all see the rising prices that have gone on,\u201d says Coughlin Joyce, the retired coach’s daughter. \u201cWe hear more and more from families that they are in need of food. We know that at least half of our families have a parent who has to stop working to become a full-time caregiver. That, obviously, means their income is going down at the same time their expenses are going up. \u2026 We know this is something they need, and we\u2019re proud to be able to partner with The Players and Winn-Dixie and be able to be there for them in this way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Winn-Dixie regional vice president Greg Stanford says it was a natural partnership to collaborate with The Tom Coughlin Jay Fund and The Players Championship to provide food access to families facing cancer.<\/p>\n
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Will Brown<\/p>\n
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Jacksonville Today<\/p>\n
Winn-Dixie regional vice president Greg Stanford, right, and Tom Coughlin Jay Fund CEO Keli Coughlin Joyce package groceries during a surprise shopping spree at a Jacksonville area Winn-Dixie on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. Winn-Dixie and The Jay Fund combined to provide groceries and gift cards for 31 families. <\/p>\n
“Most families that go through childhood cancer, they see a reduced income,\u201d Stanford says. \u201cThe father or the mother, in some cases both, are there full time to be there for their child. For us to be able to provide a little hope for them in their life, it really does mean the world to us. It\u2019s an easy fit for us organizationally giving back to the community.<\/p>\n
“For these 10 local families, seeing them walk around the store, and shopping, and the things they are getting \u2014 we\u2019re not getting luxury items, we\u2019re getting basic core needs \u2014 that makes us feel great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Skyrocketing food prices<\/p>\n
\nFood insecurity is a more palatable phrase for hunger. There are hundreds of people in Duval County who are unsure where their next meal will arrive due to medical costs.<\/p>\n
![\"Nearly](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789565773_747_.jpeg\"\/)
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