The Reason for The Run

“HOME is the nicest word there is.” - Laura Ingalls Wilder

Every single day, we are able to help families fulfill their dreams. Whether it’s selling a couple’s first home and helping them find something bigger for their growing family, or working with an investor in one of the city’s historic neighborhoods, we are honored to have helped hundreds of people with their real estate needs.

We are also humbled by the fact that for every person we have helped into a home during our real estate career, there are hundreds more without a home or without shelter here in our River City.

A few years ago, we would commute from our Riverside home out to the Beach for my then five-year-old’s school. Driving down Union street one morning, my son reflects, “I just love driving this way to school. I love seeing all the people lined up, waiting for the parade.” In his innocence, my son saw people waiting with anticipation and excitement for a celebration. The reality that the masses were waiting, not for a parade, but for whatever food or clothing they could get or, if they were lucky, shelter, wasn’t lost on me.

Kids with caring hands make care packages to hand out while driving through Jax.

Three thousand of our neighbors— men, women and children—are homeless every night in Jacksonville. Each one has an immediate need for food and shelter. But just as important each one deserves the opportunity to achieve a better life with a home of their own, an income to live on and access to health care.

Places like the Sulzbacher Center and Rethreaded provide programs that transform lives. In the process, they create a better city for all of us. And they need your help.

Sulzbacher Center is Northeast Florida’s largest provider of comprehensive services for homeless men, women and children. They are one of only a few centers in the nation to offer a full range of services for the homeless 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

The Center serves nutritious meals and offers safe shelter. But that is just the beginning. Outstanding health care and high-quality children’s programs are also provided. Their job placement assistance and life skills programs equip men and women for employment and for success. The Sulzbacher Center offers something simple, but important—hope.

Rethreaded renews hope, reignites dreams and releases potential for survivors of human trafficking locally and globally through business. Rethreaded started with a simple idea, and a strong passion from it’s founder Kristin Keen. Beginning by forming relationships with women on the street and making prison visits, she knew the biggest need was for a safe, supportive work environment where these women could earn money while learning a skill and experiencing continued healing through community. Working in partnership with the City Rescue Mission, Rethreaded hired its first full-time employee in November 2012.

Root Realty is proud to support the Sulzbacher Center and Rethreaded and their mission to empower homeless and at risk women, children and men through health, housing and income services thereby restoring hope and self-sufficiency.

Join Root Realty— in conjunction with 1st Place Sports Running— along with incredible sponsors— in Riverside's first annual The Run Home 5k!

Planned during the same weekend as Riverside Avondale Preservation's Home Tour, come race by the river of our historic city while raising homelessness awareness among our community. All proceeds benefit Sulzbacher Center, Rethreaded and Riverside Avondale Preservation in order to help diminish homelessness in our River City.

Register here to be a part of something great. All participants will receive a t-shirt and free beer, along with swag bags filled with goodies from our fantastic sponsors!