Avant’s tagline, Collaborative Construction, reflects how much the success of a project depends on everyone involved. From the developer to the designer, the architect to the engineer, so much work happens before construction even begins. Then there are our vendors and subcontractors who work alongside us to bring the original vision to life.
Most philanthropic visions and dreams become realities in the same way. It often takes a village to bring these dreams to fruition because, in many cases, funds and resources are scarce, and a little help from the surrounding community is often the key to success.
Take, for example, our latest Avant Community Give-Back project. The FunGardens is an urban farm and play area in the Springfield neighborhood of Jacksonville. It’s a special place where children can play, discover, and learn about the plants and nature around them. However, despite its fascinating edible plants, trees, and open spaces, it was unimpressive from the outside. The small nonprofit needed a makeover but didn’t have the funds to make it happen.
The FunGardens was brought to my attention as a potential Give-Back project. Nature, urban gardens, walkability, community, opportunities for children to learn outdoors and get off screens, and the ability to educate and feed the neighborhood with healthy, homegrown food – I was sold. But I needed partners to help make it happen. I needed philanthropic collaboration.
As part of the Avant Community Give-Back Project, I was able to engage members of our team to help get the job done. Time was donated for much of the heavy lifting, such as removing the old chain-link fence and building a foundation for the playhouse. Southern Shores Rail and Fence gave us a great price on the new fencing and donated their time to install it for free. Sherwin-Williams’ San Marco store donated all the paint supplies to refresh the two-story playhouse. Our local Home Depot representative provided a gift card so we could purchase pavers and sandbox sand. Danielle and Ian Cleary of Heartspace Design donated their incredible talent to create a beautiful welcome sign for the garden entrance. The result is a welcoming, colorful space that truly reflects the beauty within its urban footprint.
This is just one example of collaboration. With Avant’s Community Give Back Program, we are able to serve the community in many ways. Sometimes it’s a company-wide hands-on volunteer project like landscaping new First Coast Habitat homes. Sometimes it’s a group activity like Hunger Fight, which brings businesses and individuals together to pack meals to address food insecurity in our community. Other times, it’s sponsoring an event or golf tournament for organizations like JBW Cares, that focuses on affordable housing, or Arize Together, which offers housing and opportunities for women rebuilding their lives after escaping sex trafficking.
In each instance, it’s the spirit of collaboration—bringing people together with their time, talent, treasures, and resources to help others and ultimately bring a vision to life.