FAMILIES FIRST OF PALM BEACH COUNTY TO HONOR JWI FOUNDER WITH 2023 HARRIET GOLDSTEIN AWARD

The 17th Annual Families First Children’s Day Luncheon on Friday, November 3rd will honor JustWorld International (JWI) Founder Jessica Newman as the recipient of the distinguished Harriet Goldstein Award.

This prestigious award is dedicated to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to families in need across Palm Beach County. 

Families First of Palm Beach County is a non-profit organization which offers essential family services including health, mental health, behavior and housing programs. Harriet Goldstein was a social worker and longtime Families First Board Member who dedicated her life to the advocacy of children, and upon her passing the Harriet Goldstein Award was established in her name. 

This year, Newman was named the recipient in recognition of her outstanding philanthropic efforts and her dedicated advocacy and ambassadorship for at-risk children and child welfare. JWI’s deep connection to Palm Beach County can be found in Belle Glade, shining throughout Pioneer Park Elementary, a school which was once expressing negative literary statistics in Pre-k to 3rd Grade students. 

The trajectory changed for the better in 2018 when JWI Implemented a pilot literacy program called Storybook Treasures which supplies classrooms with books and lesson materials while also building an at-home library for each student. Within the next five years students not only demonstrated exceptional learning gains, with Pioneer Park averaging more than a year’s growth annually in 2022 and securing the highest gains in the county, but fostered their love for learning. 

“This is my third year teaching with StoryBook Treasures and my students are reading more and learning more about reading comprehension thanks to the program. The students are so excited and cannot wait for the next books…the best part for me is hearing my students reading with fluency and parents letting me know that they read the books with their students 30 minutes every night,” said Pioneer Park Elementary School Educator. 

Ensuring Storybook Treasures enjoyed continued success in 2023 was a youth equestrian community effort. The Youth Ambassador Gala Committee, composed of 15 motivated JWI Ambassadors, raised more than $30,000 as part of their Annual End of Year Fundraiser. Today, JWI’s intervention continues to be an essential element of the Pioneer Park curriculum, brightening student’s educational paths everyday.

With thousands of equestrians around the world riding for the cause, it all began with Newman’s dream 20 years ago—to create a more just world. Growing up as an accomplished equestrian, Newman reached international Grand Prix level at the age of 16. After graduating from the American University of Paris with a Bachelors in International Affairs, she went on to gain extensive humanitarian experience working with organizations such as the American NGO Trickle Up in Honduras, the Friends World Experiential Program in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and the Crisis Center for children in Casa Alianza. 

In 2003, Newman formally established JWI to better serve children through comprehensive education, healthcare and nutrition programs. Throughout its 20 year history Newman has never taken a salary and has devoted countless hours and resources to its success and growth. JWI and its local partners support over 10,000 children in Cambodia, Honduras, Guatemala and the United States. The dream for JWI’s positive impact has only grown, and the goal is to continue building the Belle Glade community for many years to come. 

JWI is looking forward to celebrating these efforts at the 17th Annual Families First Children’s Day Luncheon, co-chaired by philanthropists Denise S. Fraile and Domenick Macri, Sr. The event will be held at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach and promises to be an afternoon full of entertainment with art and music. Families First will also welcome Deonte Thompson as this year’s keynote speaker. Thompson is a former NFL wide receiver and Super Bowl Champion who grew up in Belle Glades. “Guardian of the Glades” Tammy Jackson-Moore will also join him on stage to share her story.

For more information or to purchase tickets to the 17th Annual Children’s Day luncheon please visit Events– Families First of Palm Beach County (familiesfirstpbc.org) or call 561-318-4219.

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JustWorld International

Established in 2003, JustWorld International was created to connect equestrians with a direct way to help fracture the cycle of poverty through education, healthcare, and nutrition programs for children around the world. Thousands of Ambassadors from more than forty countries have since committed to “Ride for the Cause” and transform the lives of children through equestrian sport. JustWorld has united the international equestrian community and become an Official Charity Partner of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the world governing body of equestrian sport. Envisioning a more just world, the non-profit organization cultivates strategic, project partnerships in a collaborative approach to impact the lives of nearly 10,000 children around the globe on a daily basis.

To donate, become an Ambassador, or learn more about JustWorld, please visit www.justworldinternational.org or @justworldinternational on Facebook and Instagram.

JustWorld International is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization in the United States and tax-deductible donations are accepted in the United States. JustWorld International has no political or religious affiliation.