People sign a poster remembering murder victims during a MAD DADS march in November 2024. | MAD DADS
Published on December 16, 2025 at 1:18 pm
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MAD DADS Jacksonville Chapter, a crime victims advocacy group for more than 20 years, says it will stop operations by the end of this year.
But MAD DADS outreach coordinator A. J. Jordan said that the organization is going through a transition and will officially reform itself soon.
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MAD DADS’ news release says its board of directors voted to dissolve the organization, making the decision to step back to allow emerging organizations and new leadership to meet the growing needs of the community.
Chapter founder Donald Foy will retire Dec. 31, but Jordan said the group will move forward with a new board and is still committed to helping the community.
“MAD DADS Jacksonville Chapter is more than an organization — it’s a mission to serve our community,” Jordan said in a statement. “Over the upcoming weeks there will be changes, but we’re here and we’re still committed to the families we serve. We will continue as normal.”
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Jordan’s statement says Foy is retiring due to health issues. State Division of Corporations records show that MAD DADS Jacksonville Chapter is now inactive.
Filed with the state on Thursday by Foy, the paperwork, which Foy filed with the state Thursday, said that the five-member board of directors voted unanimously for dissolution Dec. 5 and that the current nonprofit agency will cease New Year’s Eve.
MAD DADS mission
MAD DADS is an acronym for Men Against Destruction-Defending Against Drugs and Social disorder. Jacksonville’s group is one of a number of chapters in a national organization founded in 1989 by a group of Black men in Omaha. The Jacksonville chapter began in 2002.
Since then, MAD DADS has canvassed dozens of city neighborhoods with volunteers and the families of murder victims, trying to “Break the Code of Silence” and get people to tell police what they know of the deaths.
The group also posts Facebook requests for people to phone in tips on specific crimes, such as Tuesday’s post about a 16-year-old boy killed Friday night in a shooting in Sandalwood.
“He was transported to the hospital, where he later died. JSO said an adult man was found inside a car with gunshot wounds, and another teen was shot once,” the Facebook post said. “BREAK THE CODE OF SILENCE for the family and two individuals that were shot and recovering.”
MAD DADS said people with information can leave anonymous tips at First Coast Crime Stoppers at (866) 845-8477 (TIPS), or leave it on its Facebook Messenger page.
