Our Mission and Vision
ICARE is comprised of 38 congregations in Duval County that is now in its seventeenth year. Combined, our congregations represent more than 30,000 residents from a broad cross-section of the Jacksonville community. We are incorporated in Florida as a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) tax exempt and politically non-partisan organization.
Our mission is to powerfully address citywide concerns related to issues of justice and fairness. We are a direct action organization not a direct service organization. We use our collective people power to press our elected officials and other city leaders on county-wide solutions to the problems that plague our community: crime, the low graduation rate, homelessness, jobs and other community concerns.
Our vision is that as communities of faith who gather together at least 52 times a year, at least once a year we can all come together to do justice.
How We Work
Every fall ICARE conducts a grassroots listening process that involves hundreds of citizens talking to one another in small house meetings. In November, ICARE members come together at the Community Problems Assembly to vote democratically on what community justice issues we will address for the year.
Next, trained committees of approximately 20 ICARE leaders research each problem to find winnable, evidence-based solutions.
We then hold our annual Nehemiah Action Assembly in the spring, where we engage our elected and public officials to make commitments around the solutions to the problems.
In addition to listening, research and implementation, ICARE follows-up and monitors outcomes.
In 2018, 1400 ICARE leaders gathered together at Abyssinia Baptist Church for the Nehemiah Assembly . Please go to Current Campaigns for more information on this year’s issues.
Congregations
Abyssinia Missionary Baptist
Arlington Congregational
Bahai’s of North Florida
Buckman Bridge Unitarian Universalist Church
Central CME
Christ Episcopal
Christ the King Catholic
Ebenezer United Methodist
First Christian
Greater Grant Memorial African Methodist Episcopal
Greater Payne Chapel African Methodist Episcopal
Historic Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal
Jacksonville Friends Meeting (Quakers)
Jacksonville Jewish Center
Lake Shore Presbyterian
Lakewood Presbyterian
Mandarin United Methodist
Most Holy Redeemer Catholic
Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal
New Fountain Chapel AME
Peace Presbyterian
Phillip R. Cousin AME
Riverside Avenue Christian
Riverside Baptist Church
Riverside Presbyterian
Second Missionary Baptist
South Jacksonville Presbyterian
St. Andrew AME
St. Mark’s Episcopal
St. Mark’s Lutheran
St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
St. Philip’s Episcopal
Trinity Lutheran
Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville
Woodlawn Presbyterian
2018 officers
Co-Presidents
Rev. Bruce Havens – Arlington Congregational UCC
Rev. Tan Moss – Greater Grant Memorial AME
Vice President
Fr. James Boddie- Christ the King Catholic
Secretary
Brain Lapinski- Unitarian University Church of Jacksonville
Treasurer
Geneva Pittman – St. Paul AME
ICARE Past and Present Financial Supporters
CORPORATE INVESTORS
Atlantic Coast Bank
Bank of America
Florida Blue
Poole Management
Regency Centers
Riverplace Capital Management
Sally Corporation
Walmart
Wells Fargo
Vystar Credit Union
Trapac
Web.Com
Foundations
Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine
Needmore Fund
Evangelical Lutheran Church Association – Hunger Grant
Catholic Campaign for Human Development
Jacksonville Jaguars
Ben and Jerry’s
Weaver Fund