Clara White Mission
Encyclopedia
The Clara White Mission is a non-profit organization in downtown Jacksonville, Florida
that advocates for the poor and provides social services. According to their website, "The Clara White Mission is to reduce homelessness through advocacy, housing, job training and employment by partnering with business and local community resources." CWM created an extensive and diverse network of public and private funding sources.
, a nationally recognized humanitarian who was Clara's daughter, turned the soup kitchen into an effective social agency.
Clara White died in 1920, but Eartha continued their "mission work", and at the height of the great depression
the operation grew so large, it had to be moved from its residential location. The Globe Theatre had been closed for years, and Eartha White was able to purchase it. The West Ashley Street building was then dedicated in her mother's memory. At the time, the CWM was the only non-profit organization serving daily meals to the needy in Jacksonville. The mission incorporated in 1934.
The Clara White Mission was Eartha's home for over 40 years and the center of her activities. Besides the original feeding program, the building was home to a myriad of projects and initiatives through the years. The Works Progress Administration
(WPA) used the mission as the work site for sewing and arts projects during the Depression; the building's top floors housed soldiers stationed in Jacksonville during World War II.
Beginning with Clara and continuing with Eartha, the mission provided rooms to prisoners after their release from jail; they were also fed, given clothing and assistance finding a job. The homeless received similar assistance.
The mission provided hands-on training for cooking/canning and business skills including typing, in addition to Braille
instruction. The facility was renovated in 1946 and local business owners were encouraged to lease office space on the building's first and third floors to help pay the bills.
In 1902, Eartha and Clara White began the "Colored Old Folks Home", which became the "Eartha White Nursing Home". In 1965, construction began on Eartha M. M. White Health Care, Inc., a 125-bed, $780,000.00 facility, initiated by Eartha at age 89.
for safe keeping; the furniture and objet d'art were stored by the CWM.
The "Eartha M.M. White Memorial Art and Historical Resource Center" was dedicated on December 17, 1978 at the Clara White Mission. The "museum" is located at the north end of the second floor of the original mission building where Eartha's living quarters were located.
Three quarters of area homeless are veterans and counselors are available to assist those seeking to improve their situation. A culinary arts training program has been in place for several years.
at the mission. They prepare the food, transport it and serve it at the location of the client's event. Most of the staff are graduates of the CWM culinary arts program and all profits are returned to the mission.
, Community Development Block Grant Program, City of Jacksonville, Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA), Jaguars Foundation, Jessie Ball duPont Fund
, Kirbo Foundation, Kraft Foods
, Landwirth Foundation
, Public Service Grant Program, Sodexo Foundation, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
, United Way of Northeast Florida, United States Department of Veterans Affairs
, Weaver Family Foundation, and WorkForce Florida.
The "Eartha M.M. White Legacy Fund" was established in 2005 through the Community Foundation in Jacksonville with a $1.4 million endowment, funded through the 2003 conversion of the assets of Eartha M.M. White Health Care Inc.
An annual benefit luncheon is held in mid-May for the mission called, Miracle on Ashley Street. Local celebrities from business, politics and media serve guests, and chefs from area restaurants prepare their specialties. Entertainment is provided by students from the LaVilla School for the Arts. Attendance in 2008 was 1,500 and has risen steadily since the event was first held in 1998.
Stars & Strikes Celebrity Charity Bowl is a joint venture with the Jacksonville Jaguars
.
on May 28, 2010. The organization was selected by weatherman and TV personality Al Roker
live on the Today Show. CWM President Ju'Coby Pittman-Peele had been invited to New York ostensibly to talk about programs making a difference in their communities.
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...
that advocates for the poor and provides social services. According to their website, "The Clara White Mission is to reduce homelessness through advocacy, housing, job training and employment by partnering with business and local community resources." CWM created an extensive and diverse network of public and private funding sources.
History
The Clara White Mission was formally founded in 1904, but Clara English White began feeding hungry people in her Clay street neighborhood in the 1880s. During the period between 1900 and 1950, Dr. Eartha M. M. WhiteEartha M. M. White
Eartha Mary Magdalene White was an American humanitarian, philanthropist, and businesswoman.-Early life:...
, a nationally recognized humanitarian who was Clara's daughter, turned the soup kitchen into an effective social agency.
Clara White died in 1920, but Eartha continued their "mission work", and at the height of the great depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
the operation grew so large, it had to be moved from its residential location. The Globe Theatre had been closed for years, and Eartha White was able to purchase it. The West Ashley Street building was then dedicated in her mother's memory. At the time, the CWM was the only non-profit organization serving daily meals to the needy in Jacksonville. The mission incorporated in 1934.
The Clara White Mission was Eartha's home for over 40 years and the center of her activities. Besides the original feeding program, the building was home to a myriad of projects and initiatives through the years. The Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
(WPA) used the mission as the work site for sewing and arts projects during the Depression; the building's top floors housed soldiers stationed in Jacksonville during World War II.
Beginning with Clara and continuing with Eartha, the mission provided rooms to prisoners after their release from jail; they were also fed, given clothing and assistance finding a job. The homeless received similar assistance.
The mission provided hands-on training for cooking/canning and business skills including typing, in addition to Braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
instruction. The facility was renovated in 1946 and local business owners were encouraged to lease office space on the building's first and third floors to help pay the bills.
In 1902, Eartha and Clara White began the "Colored Old Folks Home", which became the "Eartha White Nursing Home". In 1965, construction began on Eartha M. M. White Health Care, Inc., a 125-bed, $780,000.00 facility, initiated by Eartha at age 89.
Museum
Throughout Eartha White's life, she actively collected period furniture, historical documents, and photos of Jacksonville's past as well as Black Americans. She solicited donations from all her contacts, both business and personal. The accumulation was housed in a building near Moncrief Springs until her death in 1974, after which many items were stolen or damaged. The remaining documents were turned over to the University of North FloridaUniversity of North Florida
The University of North Florida is a public university located in Jacksonville, Florida. A member institution of the State University System of Florida, the university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s...
for safe keeping; the furniture and objet d'art were stored by the CWM.
The "Eartha M.M. White Memorial Art and Historical Resource Center" was dedicated on December 17, 1978 at the Clara White Mission. The "museum" is located at the north end of the second floor of the original mission building where Eartha's living quarters were located.
Current programs
Most of the Mission's programs help the homeless daily:- The feeding program provides over 400 hot meals each day, seven days a week.
- Transitional housing is provided for up to two years for the homeless to establish themselves in a job and leave the streets.
- Community outreach helps the homeless and at-risk youth avoid behaviors that are destructive.
- The drop-in day center is open to the homeless on weekdays, providing showers, laundry facilities, hot & cold drinks, snacks, computer and telephone access.
Three quarters of area homeless are veterans and counselors are available to assist those seeking to improve their situation. A culinary arts training program has been in place for several years.
Clara at the Cathedral
"Clara's at the Cathedral Café" is a cooperative project between the St. Johns Cathedral and the School of Culinary Arts at the mission. Every Friday since April 13, 2007, a luncheon has been prepared by the students and staff from the Mission's culinary school. The meal is reasonably priced and attracts workers from downtown businesses and retirees.Catering
"Ashley Street Catering" is a full-service catererCatering
Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...
at the mission. They prepare the food, transport it and serve it at the location of the client's event. Most of the staff are graduates of the CWM culinary arts program and all profits are returned to the mission.
Funding
There are scores of companies, organizations and agencies on CWM's list of Community Service, Hospitality and Funding providers. Among them are the Blue FoundationBlue Foundation
-History:Blue Foundation started out in 2000 based on Tobias Wilner, aka Bichi's cooperation with various artists and musicians; his work with Kirstine Stubbe Teglbjærg and Bo Rande has been especially characteristic for the Blue Foundation sound. The music can be described as a mix of melodic...
, Community Development Block Grant Program, City of Jacksonville, Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
(FEMA), Jaguars Foundation, Jessie Ball duPont Fund
Jessie Ball duPont Fund
The Jessie Ball duPont Fund, "Florida's leading national foundation", is a charitable foundation that issues grants to organizations that received support from Jessie Ball duPont during the years 1960-1964 inclusive...
, Kirbo Foundation, Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
, Landwirth Foundation
Henri Landwirth
Henri Landwirth is an hotelier, philanthropist, and founder of Give Kids The World and Dignity U Wear. He was originally from Belgium and is a Holocaust survivor. After World War II, he fled to the United States after a stint in the Army; Landwirth took a course in hotel management...
, Public Service Grant Program, Sodexo Foundation, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD, is a Cabinet department in the Executive branch of the United States federal government...
, United Way of Northeast Florida, United States Department of Veterans Affairs
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
, Weaver Family Foundation, and WorkForce Florida.
The "Eartha M.M. White Legacy Fund" was established in 2005 through the Community Foundation in Jacksonville with a $1.4 million endowment, funded through the 2003 conversion of the assets of Eartha M.M. White Health Care Inc.
An annual benefit luncheon is held in mid-May for the mission called, Miracle on Ashley Street. Local celebrities from business, politics and media serve guests, and chefs from area restaurants prepare their specialties. Entertainment is provided by students from the LaVilla School for the Arts. Attendance in 2008 was 1,500 and has risen steadily since the event was first held in 1998.
Stars & Strikes Celebrity Charity Bowl is a joint venture with the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
2010 Grant
The CWM was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh ProjectPepsi Refresh Project
The Pepsi Refresh Project is a 2010 initiative by PepsiCo to award $20 million in grants to individuals, businesses and non-profits that promote a new idea that has a positive impact on their community, state, or the nation...
on May 28, 2010. The organization was selected by weatherman and TV personality Al Roker
Al Roker
Albert Lincoln "Al" Roker, Jr. is an American television meteorologist as well as an actor and book author. He is best known as being the weather anchor on NBC's Today. On Monday, July 20, 2009, he began co-hosting his new morning show, Wake Up with Al, on The Weather Channel, which airs weekdays...
live on the Today Show. CWM President Ju'Coby Pittman-Peele had been invited to New York ostensibly to talk about programs making a difference in their communities.