JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It's a major investment in one of Jacksonville's historic urban core neighborhoods. On Wednesday Florida Blue made a commitment to revitalize Jacksonville's Eastside through its Growing Resilient Communities program.
The goal is to help reduce generational poverty through community investment.
"We are investing a total of more than $2 million in [zip code] 32206," Florida Blue President & CEO Pat Geraghty said.
And with that announcement Jacksonville's Eastside got a much needed economic boost. A large crowd was assembled for a press conference and in that crowd was Eastside resident Bruce Moye.
"I'm just speechless because it's really happening and I'm so overwhelmed," said Moye. "I love my neighborhood."
Moye grew up down the street from where the announcement and community food giveaway took place. As Moye walked from the press conference towards his childhood home memories began to flood back.
"Everyone wanted to be fast like Bob Hayes and we used to race all the time," Moye recalled.
Some of the new investment will go towards community wellness and educational opportunities for residents of the Eastside. Moye is currently enrolled in a program to help him rehab an existing Eastside home that he will live in when the rehab work is completed.
"The house building is me being the pioneer and lead spokesperson," Moye said "to be that example of what we can do with our space in our neighborhood."
For people like Bruce Moye, revitalizing the Eastside is about revitalizing a way of life and preserving what was good about living in Jacksonville for future generations.
"Just to be here and represent the people, the elder people who came up and wanted good for this community, it's just breathtaking," Moye said.
This investment is a chance to recapture what he loved about his neighborhood. The money from the Growing Resilient Communities initiative will work towards ending generational poverty that Florida Blue believes is at the root of so many health and educational deficits.
"These barriers created by poverty can't be reduced or eliminated without deliberate effort to do so," said North Florida Market President Darnell Smith.
Florida Blue partnered with Lift Jax to make sure the Eastside develops affordable housing, educational opportunities and community wellness.
"Simply put, we do this because we know it's possible," Lift Jax President David Garfunkel said. "We know it's possible to eradicate poverty and revitalize neighborhoods like the historic Eastside."