Unwind with the Sanctuary at Our Paint & Sip Event!

WHEN:  February 29, 6-9 p.m.

WHERE:  Sanctuary on 8th St., 120 E 8th St., Jacksonville, FL 32206

Join us for our Paint & Sip event in support of the Sanctuary. Whether you are a seasoned painter or just a beginner, we have an excellent art teacher who will guide you through a beautiful painting related to the theme of hope.

All materials will be provided along with wine and light refreshments. We hope you will attend and invite your friends who may be unfamiliar with what we do here at the Sanctuary. This event will be a great opportunity to relax and learn more about our organization and what we have been up to.

Tickets are $40 dollars and will support the initiatives we offer in our after-school and summer camp programs. If you have any questions regarding the event please email Alexa at alexa@sanctuaryon8th.org.

Paintbrush with red oil paint on a classical palette

Summer in Sanctuary

Al-Letson-Flyer-2019
summer_in_sanctuary-1

Summer in Sanctuary is a solo show by performance poet, playwright, actor and public radio host Al Letson. Letson chronicles his summer working as a creative writing teacher at the Sanctuary on 8th Street, a nonprofit serving children in Springfield. Funny, poignant and ultimately inspiring, Summer in Sanctuary will take you into the heart of a community and leave you with a better understanding of the world.

Told through monologue, poetry, song and sound-rich reporting, Summer in Sanctuary takes you beyond the statistics to reveal the unseen challenges and complexities facing students in underserved communities across the country.

About Al Letson
Al Letson is a playwright, performance poet, actor, public radio host and executive producer whose soul-stirring, interdisciplinary work has received national recognition and built a devoted fan base. In 2008, Letson created, hosted, and executive produced State of the Re:Union. The show received critical acclaim and numerous awards, including a Peabody Award (2014) and three consecutive National Edward R. Murrow Awards (2012, 2013, 2014). Letson later joined the Center for Investigative Reporting to help launch and host public radio’s first investigative journalism show, Reveal. The show’s pilot, “The VA’s Opiate Overload,” won a Peabody Award (2013).

A true renaissance man, Letson got his start on stage as a performance poet where he established himself in the Poetry Slam community. This background seamlessly weaves spoken word into the fabric of his theater work. His plays and poetry have been performed on stages and TV screens across the country.

While his interests are varied, they are all aspects of who Al Letson is — a storyteller.

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Target Holiday Shopping Experience: A Recap

WHEN:  December 13, 2023

WHERE:  Target, 6331 Roosevelt Blvd

This past December the Sanctuary on 8th Street took more than 50 kids to Target for our Annual Holiday Shopping Experience.

Each child was given a budget of $100 and a caring chaperone to guide them through the store. Beyond the excitement of choosing gifts, this experience served as a valuable opportunity for our youth to work on their math and decision-making skills. What made the day truly special was witnessing the children's selflessness, as some opted to buy more gifts for others than for themselves.

Thank you to all the amazing donors, chaperones, and staff who made this event possible.

We look forward to having another amazing event in December 2024, please stay tuned for details.

New Target Photo