By Leah Foreman – Reporter, Jacksonville Business Journal
Oct 14, 2025 9:23am EDT
A charitable arm of one of Jacksonville’s largest real estate investment firms is turning a long-standing philanthropic effort into a more impactful model for local homeownership.
JWB Cares, the nonprofit affiliate of JWB Real Estate Companies, has awarded its first eight grants from the new Welcome Home Fund, a program designed to help residents clear one of the steepest barriers to homeownership: the down payment.
Each recipient will receive $20,000 in assistance to purchase a home in Northeast Florida — a total of $160,000 distributed through the inaugural round of funding.
The $160,000 fund marks a major expansion of JWB Cares’ philanthropic mission, which for seven years has centered on hosting an annual golf tournament and building a single home for one family in need.
With this new model, JWB Cares aims to make the path to ownership accessible for more residents simultaneously.
“We really wanted to be able to help more people achieve that dream of home ownership,” JWB President Alex Sifakis said.
Meeting a growing need
Affordable housing remains one of Jacksonville’s most urgent challenges.
The inaugural Welcome Home Fund drew more than 450 applications, reflecting the depth of demand across the region. Applicants were required to demonstrate financial need, a commitment to giving back to the community, the ability to participate in JWB’s Homebuyer Education program and readiness to purchase a home in Northeast Florida within 12 months.
An independent volunteer panel reviewed all applications and selected 40 finalists. From that group, a second panel — composed of local nonprofit leaders unaffiliated with JWB — convened in August to select the final eight recipients.
That panel included PeDro Cohen of LISC Jacksonville, Robert Kelly Jr. of READ USA, Cody Spencer of Ability Housing, Travis Williams of LIFT Jax and Cindy Funkhouser of The Sulzbacher Center, according to JWB.
Each of the eight selected homeowners — Renata Bryan, Renita Demery, Shecovia Grimes, Pamela Jackson, Latesha Jones, Sasha Tukes, LesleyAnn Vickerie and Nicole Warrick — will receive $20,000 toward their down payment, easing one of the biggest financial barriers to ownership.
Sifakis said recipients of the grant will have a fixed payment for the rest of their lives, helping ensure long-term housing stability.
Among the new homeowners is Pamela Jackson, who told the Business Journal she has lived paycheck to paycheck while caring for her mother on a fixed income.
“I was just blessed to find out that we were provided this opportunity… this life-changing opportunity,” she said.
Jackson, who is active at Elevate Life Church and volunteers in her community, said the award has transformed her outlook.
“Having this grant rewarded to us, it just opens that door and makes the dream a reality and it shows us that anything is possible,” she said.
The organization plans for the Welcome Home Fund to continue annually, pairing private-sector philanthropy with education and community engagement to address the region’s affordability crisis at scale.
Link to article: Jacksonville Business Journal | JWB Cares launches $160,000 Welcome Home Fund to boost local homeownership