The Tesori Family Foundation presented a check for $22,581 to The Arc Jacksonville on Wednesday, July 9, in support of its Professional Animal Workers (PAWS) program. This grant marks a significant step forward in expanding postsecondary credentialing and vocational training opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental differences (IDD).
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan, who attended the check presentation, praised the impact of the initiative.
“Just a heartfelt thank you to everybody involved in this effort and the incredible and generous support of the Tesori Family Foundation, it’s a huge step forward for workforce development in Jacksonville,” she said. “It’s really one of my huge priorities; it gives residents with IDD more opportunities to build meaningful careers and that is hugely important for our community.”
A collaborative effort between Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ), the City of Jacksonville’s Animal Care & Protective Services (ACPS) and The Arc Jacksonville, the PAWS Program offers a 12-week certificate designed to prepare students for employment in kennels, animal daycare centers and other pet-related businesses. Participants complete classroom instruction at The Arc Jacksonville’s downtown campus and gain hands-on experience through internships at ACPS.
The grant will fund new laptop computers, support the development of a formal PAWS curriculum for both current and future cohorts and sponsor three students pursuing the certificate. Additionally, every dollar raised by The Arc Jacksonville through the end of 2025 will be matched up to $25,000, doubling the impact of community support.
The PAWS Program is already celebrating success with the hiring of Aidan Balzli by ACPS. Aidan, a graduate of The Arc Jacksonville’s On Campus Transition (OCT) program at the University of North Florida, was among the first six students enrolled in PAWS when it launched last year. His passion and dedication — showing up nearly every day during his internship — earned him a part-time job offer from ACPS on the final day of the program.
“Our foundation is thrilled to support this first of its kind program,” said Paul Tesori, founder of the Tesori Family Foundation. “We’re so thankful to have such great leadership from ACPS, The Arc Jacksonville, FSCJ – all of them for paving the way for the PAWS program.”
This partnership exemplifies the potential of inclusive, skills-based programming to transform lives and open new doors to sustainable employment and independence.
To contribute to the PAWS program and have your donation matched, go to arcjacksonville.org/PAWSmatch.
Donation Match Info: https://arcjacksonville.org/PAWSmatch.
