Marking 120 Years of Community Service

MARKING 120 YEARS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE -- (Extensions of Remarks - May 05, 2004)

SPEECH OF
HON. ANDER CRENSHAW
OF FLORIDA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 2004

Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the anniversary of a very helpful institution in Jacksonville, Florida. The institution is daniel. Their mission is to help youth build character by helping them forge strong values, enhance their self-worth, and erect a sense of community. I would like to enter into the record, a brief history of this organization, and how it came to help so many children through its 120 years in operation.

Established in 1884, daniel has met the physical and emotional needs of children. It is considered Florida's oldest child-serving agency. Originally founded as an orphanage, and later named after James Jaquelin Daniel, daniel has evolved into a multi-service agency that assists troubled youth and their families with a variety of innovative and nationally recognized programs.

Originally established as the Orphanage and Home for the Friendless, its mission was "to receive into a suitable home to support and provide for all who shall come under the provisions of the constitution as far as our means and facilities will enable us."

To meet this goal, a cottage was rented on the corner of Liberty and Ashley Street and a fund was started to open a permanent home. Three years later, a two-story frame building was built on the corner of Evergreen Avenue and Center Street.

The earliest minutes of the organization that would become daniel begin with a Preface as follows:

Before Organization a few children in the city occupied themselves in the winter of '83-'84 in working for a little fair, the proceeds to be devoted to the care of little orphan children. Dell Hungerford, Edie Fitzgerald, Kitty and Eva Havener began in a quiet way & soon other children became interested and in Feb. 1884 quite a large company, old and young, met at Mrs. A.L. Hungerford's where she had carefully arranged a programme of interest to the children and where all were supplied with good things under the supervision of herself and the friends whom she had invited to assist her. The proceeds amounted to $41.57 which were generously supplemented by Mr. & Mrs. Hungerford by a donation of $15.00.

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