NEXT SERVICE Sun, Sept 13th at 10 AM ET
Greater Jacksonville Community Development Corporation
GJCDC was originally organized on June 26, 2005. In 2024, under the direction of the new pastor of the Greater Jacksonville Community Church, Rev. Kevin Osbourne, GJCDC was relaunched. The purpose of GJCDC is to support the development and revitalization of neighborhoods in Northeast Jacksonville within ZIP Code 32208, especially Sherwood Forest, through our three main focus areas: Health & Wellness, Economic Development, and Youth Development.
“Faith-based community development corporations uniquely integrate spiritual conviction with social action, addressing economic and community needs while nurturing dignity, hope, and collective responsibility within the neighborhoods they serve.” - A.C. Vidal
Upcoming Community Events
Current Community Partners
Pantry Hours of Operation
The Pantry is open for Food Distribution (while supplies last):
2nd Friday | 9 AM following Thursday | 10 AM
Mrs. Eddie Hunter
Pantry Director
Contact Phone: (904) 556-7413
Ms. Pat Laster
Pantry Co-Director
Volunteer with Harvest & Hope Community Pantry
Help Feed Families. Share Hope. Build Community.
At Harvest & Hope Community Pantry, every volunteer helps make a difference. Whether you're sorting food, greeting neighbors with a smile, organizing donations behind the scenes, or capturing stories of hope, your time and talents help ensure that families in our community receive nutritious food with dignity and compassion. We welcome individuals, families, civic groups, students, churches, and businesses who are passionate about serving others.
Volunteer Opportunities
Assist with unloading and receiving donations from our box truck (as needed). Sort, inspect, and organize donated food and supplies.
Administrative Support (Remote opportunities available). Data entry and inventory tracking, Donation cataloging, record-keeping, and administrative assistance
Pantry Distribution Team
Serve our neighbors during our monthly pantry distributions:
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First Friday: 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM
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Following Thursday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Volunteers assist with food packing, Registration, Hospitality, Traffic flow, Distribution, and Cleanup.
Join the Mission
Whether you can serve once a month or every week, your generosity helps nourish bodies, restore hope, and strengthen our community. Become a Harvest & Hope Community Pantry volunteer today and help us make a lasting impact, one family at a time.
Current Pantry Partners
HEALTH & WELLNESS PROGRAMS
Ms. Samara Purvis
Program Director
PATHWAYS TO WELLNESS
Pathways to Wellness is a community health initiative designed to equip residents with practical tools for living healthier, more informed lives. Through a series of engaging workshops, participants gain knowledge and resources across nutrition, mental and emotional wellness, and emergency preparedness.
Nutrition & Healthy Living
Participants explore food as medicine and build sustainable healthy habits through workshops including Med Instead of Meds, Brother's Fish Fry: Prostate Cancer Awareness, Books & Cooks, Dining with Diabetes, and Health Tech & Wellness.
Mental & Emotional Wellness
The Balanced Body workshop offers participants tools and strategies to support emotional resilience and overall mental well-being.
Emergency Preparedness
Emergency Preparedness Day and Be Health Ready equip families with the knowledge and resources needed to stay safe and prepared during emergencies.
Together, these workshops reflect GJCDC's commitment to holistic wellness, meeting community members where they are and empowering them to take charge of their health.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Vacant
Program Director
WealthWorks
Wealth is the condition of well-being that comes from ownership, financial literacy, assets, and the freedom to control your future and build a legacy, not merely the accumulation of money. - John Bryant Hope
WealthWorks is GJCDC's financial empowerment program, built on a simple but transformative truth: wealth is about more than money. As John Hope Bryant defines it, wealth is the condition of well-being that comes from ownership, financial literacy, assets, and the freedom to control your future and build a legacy. It is not merely the accumulation of dollars, but the power to shape your own path and leave something meaningful for those who come after you.
WealthWorks equips individuals and families in the 32208 community with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to build lasting financial well-being. Through hands-on workshops, coaching, and community partnerships, participants learn how to manage credit, build savings, understand homeownership, access capital, and make informed financial decisions that strengthen both their households and their futures.
More than a series of classes, WealthWorks is a pathway toward ownership and legacy. It reflects GJCDC's belief that true financial empowerment restores dignity, expands opportunity, and gives families the freedom to determine their own future, one informed decision at a time.
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Vacant
Program Director
S.O.A.R. (Students Overcoming And Rising)
S.O.A.R. is GJCDC's youth identity and leadership development program, designed for young people ages 12 to 17. Over a 12-month journey, S.O.A.R. creates a safe, structured space for participants to discover who they are and who they're becoming, equipping them to clearly define and pursue their personal, educational, and career goals.
Through 17 guided sessions, participants explore their interests, values, and core principles, the foundation for the decisions, relationships, and future paths that lie ahead. Each participant is paired with a S.O.A.R. Mentor (Navigator), a caring, committed adult who provides guidance, encouragement, and accountability throughout the journey, walking alongside them as they grow into their full potential.
More than a program, S.O.A.R. is an invitation for young people to rise, overcoming obstacles, embracing their identity, and stepping confidently into who they were created to be.
More than a program, S.O.A.R. is an invitation for young people to rise, overcoming obstacles, embracing their identity, and stepping confidently into who they were created to be.
S.O.A.R. runs annually, beginning each March. Registration opens each October.
COMING SOON: Sherwood Teaching & Therapeutic Garden at GJCC
Nestled beneath a canopy of native oak trees, the Sherwood Forest Teaching and Therapeutic Garden will become a living space where our community grows, heals, and learns together. This vision brings agriculture, wellness, and community into one welcoming green space right here at Greater Jacksonville Community Church Complex.
The garden will feature raised planting beds for vegetables and herbs, a dedicated greenhouse for year-round growing, and fruit trees that will one day feed families in our community. Not only will the food grown in the garden help to supplement the Harvest and Hope Community Pantry, but a portion of the garden will be used to teach entrepreneurial skills to youth through the creation of preserves and sauces to be sold at local farmers' markets and online (proceeds go to help further fund programming). An outdoor teaching kitchen will give neighbors of all ages the chance to learn hands-on cooking and nutrition skills using food grown just steps away. Shaded pergolas, garden tables, and a cozy fire pit gathering area will create peaceful spots for reflection and connection.
This is more than a garden. It is a therapeutic space designed with intention, a place where children can discover where food comes from, where families can learn to eat well on any budget, and where anyone carrying a heavy heart can find a quiet bench beneath the oaks. It reflects GJCDC's deep commitment to Health and Wellness, Financial Empowerment, and Youth Empowerment for the families of Northeast Jacksonville.
We invite investors, sponsors, and donors to help us bring Sherwood Forest to life. Every raised bed, every fruit tree, every paver on the path is an opportunity to plant something lasting in our community. Together, we can build a space where growth, healing, and hope take root for generations to come.
Interested in sponsoring a piece of Sherwood Forest? Contact GJCDC today at gjaxcdc@gmail.com to learn how you can help us break ground.
Spring Health Initiative
GJCC hosted an 8-week Workshop teaching GJCC members and the community about the Mediterranean Diet to help participants reduce their reliance on medication.
Emergency Preparation Day
