Better Together honors Northeast Florida community partners at 2026 Doing Good Together reception

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - EntSun -- Better Together, a nonprofit dedicated to families and children, honored its Northeast Florida volunteers, supporters and community partners who have made a significant impact on the organization and its mission.

As a privately funded, volunteer-driven nonprofit, Better Together relies on the support of donors, community partners and volunteers to provide its services to families across the state. Each year, Better Together hosts a series of Doing Good Together receptions in all six of its regions to honor and showcase the efforts of these individuals and organizations. Each honoree receives a specialized award, in the style of a prized baseball card, recognizing the recipient's impact.

This year, Better Together served 8,000 children, parents and job seekers in Northeast Florida through its Better Families and Better Jobs programs.

Better Together recognized several honorees during the reception held Jan. 29 at the Timuquana Country Club in Jacksonville. Honorees include:

• Host Family of the Year was presented to Francine Finnie. Her desire to model faith in action shows in how she opens her home and heart to families in need. Through her hosting, she consistently demonstrates compassion, generosity and unwavering willingness to step in wherever support is required.
• Community Partner of the Year was presented to First Coast Women's Services. Through the team's work to increase operations for those who were not expecting or prepared to expand their families, they've incorporated referrals to Better Together. Through this partnership, families get the resources and community they need to thrive.
• Church Partner of the Year was presented to Saint James AME Church.
• Community Board Member of the Year was presented to Stephen Freeman.
• Department of Children and Families Partner of the Year was presented to Christian Mbakwe and Cristhian Tellez.
• Employer Partner of the Year was presented to Goodwill Industries of North Florida.
• Mentor of the Year was presented to Veronica Johnson.
• Super Volunteer of the Year was presented to Catherine Grant.
• Staff Appreciation Award was presented to Regina Roberts.

Better Together works to prevent the need for foster care by building strong families and communities. When a parent needs support – due to homelessness, a medical emergency, or other crisis – Better Together volunteer host families provide a safe, loving home for the children short term, while staff and mentors empower the parents to secure employment, housing and other needs. Because job loss is at the root of most family crises, the Better Together workforce program provides opportunities for all job seekers through relational job fairs and volunteer job coaches.

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To date, Better Together has served more than 34,000 children, and 98% of children served through mentoring and hosting remain out of foster care. The nonprofit has also connected more than 48,000 job seekers to employment opportunities through church-based job fairs across 24 states.