Giving back to the Nassau County, Florida community

A group of artistic American Beach ladies and children met recently at Barnabas Center, Inc., a non-profit organization in Fernandina Beach, to paint bowls in preparation for the Center's annual "Empty Bowls" luncheon. Empty Bowls is an international grassroots movement where local communities gather to raise money for hunger relief organizations by buying handcrafted artisan bowls and enjoying simple meals like soup and bread. The handmade bowl serves as a lasting reminder of the many individuals in the community who face empty bowls every day. The 13th Annual Empty Bowls Luncheon will take place on Tuesday, November 24, 2026, at The Ritz-Carlton here on Amelia Island. The Barnabas Center will host the event to raise much-needed funds to fight hunger in Nassau County.

Vernell Britton has been the organizer and hostess of the American Beach empty bowls paint party for neighbors and many of her other friends for several years now. She continues to connect people through her acts of kindness, generosity, and vision by planning these paint parties. She feels that it is a way that she and her American Beach neighbors can give back to Nassau County's residents in crisis. Billie McCray, a well-known American Beach fiber artisan and supporter of the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens and Barnabas Center, Inc., along with Cynthia Jones-Jackson, Viviloria Frazier, Bridgette Sharpton, and Debra Morrison (and Debra's three very talented grandchildren visiting for the summer!), joined Vernell for a few hours of “fun out of the sun,” on July 21, 2026. Giving back to Nassau County's residents in crisis is an honor, and in doing so, we support the entire community. 

Cynthia Jones-Jackson is a native of Washington D.C. She married her college sweetheart and raised her only child, Riyan, in Maryland. She's now the proud "MeMa" of her only grandchild Jeremiah. After 40 years of Federal service in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area, she retired from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where she led the office responsible for providing management and oversight for the Agency's 50 federal advisory committees and subcommittees. Cynthia moved to northeast Florida 12 years ago and is now fully engaged in community, local service, and civic leadership.

Vernell E. Stewart Britton is a native of Jacksonville, Florida, a visionary, and a world 

traveler. Vernell uses her creative abilities to develop programs that enhance community and build partnerships. She is a nutritionist by training and has a keen interest in health promotion and disease prevention. Ms. Britton incorporated Meriel’s Miracles, a 501(c)(3) organization, in 2005 in memory of her youngest sister Meriel Stewart. The purpose of the organization is to support children in families affected by cancer. She is author of the book, “Six Eves Prevail Through the Garden of Nutrition,” in which six African American nutritionists share the story of their journey in the field of nutrition. She is the visionary of the Healthy Heart Team Initiative on American Beach.