Episode 23: Good Starts Here: Celebrating Five Years of Good is everywhere

Good Starts Here: Celebrating Five Years of Good is everywhere

Featured Guest

Kemal Gasper

VP of Community Engagement, VyStar Credit Union

Kemal Gasper serves as Vice President of Community Engagement at VyStar Credit Union. Kemal’s dedication to serving the community goes far beyond his role at VyStar. He believes in investing in people, developing authentic connections, building a strong culture, being innovative and thinking strategically to achieve the best outcomes for the community. His dedication has been recognized by the Jacksonville Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list in 2017, Buzz Magazine's Top 30 Under 30 and the Florida Black Expo Top 20 Under 40 in 2016. Kemal currently serves on the Board of Directors of Leadership Jacksonville, Changing Homelessness, KingSoutel CRA Advisory Board and The JAX Chamber Hightower Fellowship.

Jackie Culver

Sr. Vice President of Philanthropy at Feeding Northeast Florida

Jackie Culver has spent her career helping nonprofits grow. She currently serves as Sr. Vice President of Philanthropy at Feeding Northeast Florida, where she connects people with meaningful ways to support our community. Jackie is passionate about making a difference and loves seeing how small actions can create big changes.

Highlights

  • September marks VyStar’s 5th annual Good Is everywhere celebration, focusing on service, volunteerism, and community impact, with the Good Starts Here food drive underway to help address food insecurity across local communities.

  • Good Is everywhere encourages every VyStar employee to volunteer, while also offering over 30 free experiences to members and the public as a way of giving back and saying thank you.

  • Volunteering is made accessible and enjoyable, with options to help in the warehouse, at mobile pantries, or through food and monetary donations, supporting operational needs like transportation and refrigeration.

  • The initiative aims to unite members, community members, and local nonprofits, fostering collaboration and highlighting the positive change happening throughout Florida and Georgia.

  • Feeding Northeast Florida uses food as a catalyst to improve lives, serving a 12-county area as part of the Feeding America network, and acts as the logistics backbone for local food pantries, churches, and school giveaways.

  • Food insecurity is a top priority, especially for ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) populations—community members who are working but live at or near the poverty line and may be just one paycheck away from crisis.

  • Community partnerships are critical to addressing hunger; last year Feeding Northeast Florida utilized over 14,000 volunteers, and much of the distributed food is donated from grocery stores and community drives.

  • VyStar and its partners facilitate direct impact by inviting the public to donate food and volunteer, with each branch selecting which local food bank will receive collected donations.

  • The new state-of-the-art VyStar Volunteer Resource Center provides a dedicated, welcoming space for volunteers, enabling expanded food distribution and student volunteer opportunities.

  • VyStar’s free experiences include attractions like zoos, museums, sporting events, and cultural experiences across Florida and Georgia.

  • Many volunteers have personally benefited from food assistance in the past, emphasizing the power of community connection and the importance of giving back.

  • The overarching goal of Good Is everywhere is to inspire broad community involvement, celebrate collective impact, and provide opportunities and support to neighbors in need.

Download the audio version of this episode on Buzzsprout.

The content provided in this podcast consists of the opinions and ideas of the creators alone and should be used for informational purposes only. The opinions expressed should not be considered legal, financial, or tax advice, and are not meant to replace such advice. VyStar Credit Union is not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from decisions you make based on the information provided. The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the guest and not VyStar Credit Union or its management.