Jacksonville, FL 6/23/2020 – Lutheran Services Florida (LSF), a statewide nonprofit dedicated to helping families in crisis, received a $100,000 grant from global financial technology leader FIS to update technology for LSF Head Start and Early Head Start Child Care Partnership program in Duval county. The grant was made by the FIS Foundation which in 2019 provided nearly $1.2 million in annual donations to charitable organizations aligned with the company’s giving priorities.

Due to COVID-19, LSF Head Start and Early Head Start has been offering virtual learning to children since March, along with weekly distribution of food, diapers, wipes and other essential needs to families. The pandemic intensified a technology problem affecting families being served by virtual education.

Computers and smartphones allowed Duval County Head Start and Early Head Start to engage with over 1,100 families to close out the 2019/2020 school year; however, 200 families were identified without technology available to access virtual education during this critical time. The grant from FIS Charitable Foundation will be utilized as part of a package to update technology for families who do not have devices at home and support center-based classroom instruction and child development assessments.

The funding from FIS will enable LSF to fulfill its vision of creating safe children, strong families, and vibrant communities during a time of increasing uncertainty for children and families in need.

LSF Head Start provides early childhood education to children in Duval, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Palm Beach and Belle Glade (PEPPI). In Duval County, LSF Head Start and Early Head Start serves over 1,400 low-income, at-risk children and their families.

To partner with LSF, contact Jim Clark, EVP of Agency Advocacy at jim.clark@lsfnet.org or 813-415-7231. Visit www.lsfnet.org/covid19/ for the latest information on LSF’s response to the pandemic.

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About Lutheran Services Florida

LSF is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to helping the most vulnerable Floridians. We do this by reducing the suicide and drug addiction rate, giving families in crisis the support they need to persevere, and making sure those in poverty get the education they need to close the achievement gap.

About FIS

FIS is a leading provider of technology solutions for merchants, banks and capital markets firms globally. Our more than 55,000 people are dedicated to advancing the way the world pays, banks and invests by applying our scale, deep expertise and data-driven insights. We help our clients use technology in innovative ways to solve business-critical challenges and deliver superior experiences for their customers. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, FIS is a Fortune 500® company and is a member of Standard & Poor’s 500® Index. To learn more, visit www.fisglobal.com. Follow FIS on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@FISGlobal).

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Media Contact:
Terri Durdaller, LSF Vice President of Communications
Terri.durdaller@lsfnet.org
813-802-8790