A fire at the Seawalk Hotel in Jacksonville Beach on Nov. 29 has displaced more than 50 vulnerable individuals and will result in the rebuilding of the structure, according to hotel owner James Stockton.
The fire was caused by a faulty air-conditioning window unit, said Stockton. According to Jacksonville Beach Fire Marshall Capt. Steve Sciotto, the incident resulted in one minor injury to the hand of the person who tried to put out the fire. It also caused substantial damage in two of the hotel rooms, rendering most of the hotel unlivable until it can be repaired.
Located at 117 1st Ave N., the Seawalk Hotel houses the Beaches Rescue Recovery Mission and is under the auspices of Adventures in God’s Creation. The volunteer-run organization provides long-term housing for free or low-cost to the homeless and working poor that cannot secure it for themselves.
“I was one of those people that was just kind of lost,” said Shelby Marshall, an eight-month resident of the Beaches Rescue Recovery Mission. “I didn’t care about anything except getting high. The (others in the program) welcomed me with open arms. Ever since then, my life has drastically improved.”
The Beaches Rescue Recovery Mission also provides food, clothing, religious mentorship and jobs for poverty-stricken members of the community.
Stockton, who is the founder of the Mission, is asking the community for help fundraising the cost of rehoming individuals or volunteering to speed the recovery of the hotel.
“We need to bring them home for Christmas,” Stockton said. “Prayers right now are for the safety of our people, many of them families with children and pets.”
To donate or inquire about volunteering, visit adventuresingodscreation.org or contact Stockton at (904) 699-0009.
