LIFT JAX

LIFT JAX is an initiative of business and community leaders working to eradicate generational poverty in Jacksonville.

[LIFT JAX @LiftJax]

This Friday at the Melanin Market, we celebrated an incredible milestone: OutEast has officially been listed on the National Register for Historic Places. This recognition will play an integral role in preserving the neighborhood for years to come, learn more about its history:

[LIFT JAX @LiftJax]

We're 3 weeks away from 904 Day and tickets are going fast! Don't miss this celebration of Jacksonville and the people and organizations who steward it forward! We'll hear from keynote speaker @MayorDeegan, our own Travis Williams and Brian Wolfburg and Kemal Gasper, CEO and VP of Community Engagement at @OfficialVyStar. This year's breakfast will honor @myvillage_jax for its commitment to strengthening families, supporting youth, and building a stronger Jacksonville.

➡️ https://t.co/cADpTBw3mD

[Jessie Ball duPont Fund @duPontFund]

Our team is still riding the high from the @PurposeBuiltCS conference, which was hosted in Jacksonville this year by our friends at @LiftJax. Spending the week connecting with and learning from practitioners representing communities across the country while showcasing the impact of the work happening right here OutEast was a powerful reminder of how important it is to invest with residents, not around them.

[LIFT JAX @LiftJax]

In 2025, our education work celebrated a couple milestones! We helped bring back the 3-yr old class at John Love Early Center, giving 13 families access to quality education. We doubled down on our continued support of Long Branch Elementary School, providing meals for Saturday school and recruiting Children's Home Society to implement their Community Partnership School model on site and at Matthew Gilbert Middle School. The CPS model creates a holistic support system that addresses everything from healthcare and nutrition to tutoring and student enrichment. Last year alone, the collective impact of our partnership with CHS was felt by over 500 students OutEast!

[LIFT JAX @LiftJax]

A busy year for our community wellness work last year! We celebrated one year of The Corner at Debs Store with @GoodwillNFL and partnered to provide gift cards for dozens of residents when SNAP benefits were paused, we expanded access to critical healthcare for OutEast residents through our Health Access Navigator initiative with @JaxCareConnect, and we received a 3-year grant from Project One Health aimed at improving youth well-being by reducing screen time and increasing green time. Through collaboration with @HelpFLKids, @JAX_PAL and @DuvalSchools, over 200 children and youth were impacted by POH, and over 100 lbs. of fresh vegetables were harvested between 3 new community gardens located at neighborhood schools and parks!

[LIFT JAX @LiftJax]

2025 was a dynamic year for our mixed-income housing work. After investing in housing projects for the past few years, we’ve stepped into an expanded role as housing developer and completed three home builds, one of which already welcomed back a former resident OutEast. We continued our Restore, Repair & Resilience program with @CdcEastside and made improvements to 19 homes, helping longtime homeowners remain in the neighborhood as it improves. We were also able to partner with Jacksonville Youth Works to hire local youth to complete facade improvements to eight of the program’s homes.

[LIFT JAX @LiftJax]

"The idea that neighborhoods like the Eastside have two choices, stick with the status quo or start with outsiders coming in, it’s a fallacy. There’s another option. Neighborhoods can get better from within.”

https://t.co/CYlDHIVpRH

Our CEO Travis Williams talks about grounding our work in withintrification; starting the baseline of improving from people who are indigenous, who know the place, who call the place home. But it can also welcome new people, as shown in this story where Travis meets neighborhood legends like Mother Pearl, but also people who’ve made the clear choice to move their family OutEast more recently.

[LIFT JAX @LiftJax]

Repairing houses OutEast while giving neighborhood youth the chance to develop real-world trade skills! As an extension of our Restore & Repair program, we partnered with Jax Youth Works and The Preservation Firm to provide jobs to 12 teens, including 5 OutEast residents, to complete facade improvements like pressure washing, painting and landscaping for eight of the program’s homes. We look forward to partnering on dozens more in 2026!

[LIFT JAX @LiftJax]

From discovering his great-grandfather worked in the same building as him to finding out his grandfather started one of Jax’s first community development corporations OutEast, our CEO Travis Williams has found many signs showing that this type of neighborhood work OutEast is exactly what he was supposed to be doing. As he walks through the scenes of his childhood, from Van Buren to Odessa, this piece in @jaxdotcom details how his family’s story took shape, and how he’s working to shape the next story of the neighborhood.
https://t.co/CYlDHIVXHf

[LIFT JAX @LiftJax]

We’ve moved! We’ve had several incredible years downtown at @thejessiejax surrounded by other inspiring organizations, but our vision has always been to be in the community we serve. We’re now proud new tenants at Union Terminal Warehouse, so we’re even closer to the OutEast residents, business owners and partners we work with. It feels good to be home!

[LIFT JAX @LiftJax]

From being a resident engaging with the work to being a driver of the work, we couldn’t be more proud to add Ariane Randolph to our team. Bringing her extensive public and private sector experience, she will guide Eastside Project One Health, shaping programs that help families spend more time outdoors, strengthen wellness habits, and build a healthier, more connected OutEast.

[LIFT JAX @LiftJax]

We’re excited to welcome Rebecca E. Williams as Vice President of Operations! Bringing both expertise and passion, her leadership and vision will be a tremendous asset in strengthening our internal systems and supporting the continued growth of our investments and partnerships.

[LIFT JAX @LiftJax]

Our friends at Project One Health are organizing the Less Screen. More Green pledge, challenging families to swap screen time for green time by pledging to go outside for 30 minutes every day for 30 days & reducing screen time a little more each week. https://t.co/9xASf0qcv2

[LIFT JAX @LiftJax]

Congratulations to our President & CEO Travis Williams for being recognized as one of @JacksonvilleU's 2025 Distinguished Alumni! We’re proud to see your dedication to strengthening neighborhoods and uplifting others honored by your alma mater!

[LIFT JAX @LiftJax]

Another important milestone for OutEast! One step closer to establishing an independent nonprofit to oversee CBA funds, a testament to the residents, business owners, and stakeholders who’ve led this effort with dedication and vision since 2023. https://t.co/g2ze3F09et

[LIFT JAX @LiftJax]

Vote here as often as you want: https://t.co/KhFrgCYViy

[LIFT JAX @LiftJax]

It’s your last day to vote OutEast into MiLB history with our very own Honey Drippers as the best alternate identity this year! In partnership with the Honey Dripper House, this identity made waves this year celebrating a neighborhood staple. https://t.co/blZjXokquM

[LIFT JAX @LiftJax]

“We see fifth-generation families, people who were sent as children to get groceries. Now they have the opportunity to bring their own families and shop.”

https://t.co/VsINhKDZNn

The Corner at Debs Store didn’t just bring much-needed access to fresh food back OutEast, it also marked the return of a corner that has carried memories for generations of families.