JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville nonprofit The KING Foundation is making a powerful difference for children who have lost a parent.
Founded by Ciara Quaintance after the death of her son King’s father, the organization provides vital support to young lives changed in an instant.
Quaintance keeps pictures of King’s father over his bed as a reminder of the love their family shared.
“Sometimes you just can’t understand. You can’t question God. But sometimes, you just have to take what you can… and turn it into a purpose,” she said.
That purpose became the mission of The KING Foundation — Kids in Need of Guidance and Grace — to help children across Florida who have experienced the loss of a parent.
“I know that all these kids are going to need some type of guidance — but at the same time, they’re going to need grace," Quaintance explained.
The foundation offers a range of resources, including therapy, field trips, and school supply drives. These efforts ensure children don’t feel left out when they see other families together.
“I just think about how the kids, they see other families with their mothers and their fathers doing activities. Even sports, for example, you have both parents out there shouting and screaming, and you have some kids that are just trying to make it through,” Quaintance said.
Larissa Nazareno, secretary of The KING Foundation, knows this pain firsthand. She lost her son’s father shortly after he watched his 18-year-old graduate from high school.
“When his dad saw him walk, that was like gold to him. That’s all he ever really wanted, that moment,” she shared.
Nazareno was already involved with the foundation when her loss occurred.
“I couldn’t grasp it at first, because I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe that.’ You know, doing this for so many years, and then all of a sudden, I’m on the other aspect of the statistics,” she said.
Statistics show that one in 12 children in the U.S. will lose a parent or sibling before turning 18. Both Quaintance and Nazareno bring empathy and understanding to their work, providing much-needed support to the entire family.
“We give our heart, our mind, our body, our soul. We give it all to our youth, because we know at the end of the day, they’re our future,” Nazareno said.
Quaintance added, “I think overall, having the support of the community is amazing, but it also does something for them. It’s not just the kids, it’s overall, helping everyone just have a great experience.”
The KING Foundation’s compassionate approach ensures that young lives affected by loss are seen, supported, and surrounded by grace. Their work is a shining example of being Positively JAX.