At Davidson Realty, our team of professional and knowledgeable real estate agents is built to serve. Not only are we here for you and your real estate needs, but we’re also here for our community. Since being established locally in 1989, we have done our best to create a culture focused on serving all of Jacksonville and St. Augustine, which is reflected by our team.

In fact, as Christmas approaches, many of our team members are actively working with various food and toy drives in order to ensure that everyone in the community can have a happy holiday season. For Jennifer Todd, one of our veteran realtors, spreading Christmas cheer has been a passion for years. This year she collaborated with others in her neighborhood to provide a variety of groceries, toys, and gift cards to three different organizations: Toys for Tots, SAYS, and the Beam Food Bank. Now, after successfully donating almost three carloads worth of supplies, Jennifer is already looking forward to assisting with next year’s holiday drives.

Like Jennifer, Candy Gil has supported Toys for Tots throughout her 9 years as a Davidson realtor. Candy has also channeled her passion for helping children into a charity called Foster Closet. Sadly, some children in unhealthy environments may be taken from their families with nothing but the clothes on their back, but fortunately, Foster Closet steps in to help those children receive what they’re missing. By supporting this charity, Candy and other patrons help about 40-50 First Coast families and children every month.

Another Davidson veteran, Mirtha Barzaga, shares this same passion for helping the less fortunate. In addition to helping with food and toy drives, Mirtha has worked closely with Homeless Coalition, a charity for providing clothes, food, and other supplies for the homeless. For Mirtha, this passion for giving back resonates with her on a personal level. After traveling to America from Cuba as a young girl, Mirtha arrived with very few possessions, forcing her to search for clothes, toys, and even food. Now, Mirtha manages to pay it forward and help people, like her and her family, get back on their feet.

Similarly, one of our other realtors, Liz Pappaceno enjoys spending her time giving back to organizations that have helped her over the years. For instance, not only does she volunteer as a reader for the Early Learning Coalition in St. Johns County, but she also regularly donates to the First Coast YMCA. Since Liz has used the YMCA facilities for years, providing donations allows her to give back to a place that she feels has given so much to her, which in turn helps the many families and children supported by the YMCA.

This feeling of giving back to the community is a sentiment shared by all of our team members, especially Caitlyn Hawkins. Whether it’s paddleboarding or fishing, Caitlyn enjoys everything about the endless activities across the Florida waterways, and that’s why she wants to help preserve them. Through participating in clean-up events held by NEFAR and even starting her own Instagram account, @saltwatersifter, Caitlyn has worked diligently to help our local marine life and make sure our Sunshine State keeps on shining. In addition to her environmental efforts, Caitlyn and her family, like many of our Davidson team members, love to donate food, clothes, toys, and other supplies to less fortunate homes, truly exemplifying the giving culture we try to cultivate at Davidson.

Our agents Mirtha Barzaga, Reba Barkley, Candy Gil, Liz Pappaceno, Ron Savarese, and Jennifer Todd organized and supported a variety of food and toy drives making this holiday season a bit brighter for hundreds of children and families in our community.

“As you can see, we are extremely proud of our team and their different philanthropic endeavors,” said Sherry Davidson, Owner and Broker of Davidson Realty, “Ultimately, we at Davidson Realty are forever grateful for the many years of support from the community, and as a team, we hope to show our appreciation by continuing to give back and help our community grow into an even better place to live.”