Frances Hutto

Frances Hutto

By Julie Kerns Garmendia
Resident Community News

Frances Hutto first experienced Children’s International Summer Villages (CISV) as a 14-year-old when her family hosted a youth from Brazil. The next year, at 15, she traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil in a reciprocal stay with her exchange family. At 17, Hutto traveled once again to Brazil, to the mountain village of Guaratinguetá in Eastern Sao Paulo, as a junior counselor for CISV. Since then, Hutto’s own children have participated, and she volunteers for the board in recruitment and as vice president of operations.
CISV is a peace education program to bring children of the world together to foster understanding and provide education in diversity, human rights, conflict resolution and sustainable development. Their goal to foster and inspire future active global citizens connects youth and adults from all cultures into a worldwide network promoting peace.
Hutto holds a degree in family and child development, taught in several states and is currently a tutor. Her husband Mark works for Micro-Ant, which designs and manufactures antennas for military, commercial and industrial uses. Hutto grew up in Avondale, but the family has lived in Ortega the past ten years with their children: Holden, 15, Whit, 13, and Walker, 10. The family pets are their yellow lab, Grady, two rescue cats and several fish.
The entire Hutto family participates in volunteer activities: Frances volunteers for her children’s schools, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and the Women’s Board of Wolfson Children’s Hospital. Her mother, Marian Poitevent, was a founding member of the Women’s Board, active in the Junior League, The National Society of Colonial Dames, and a volunteer for Cummer Museum, Jacksonville Historical Society, Sulzbacher Center and Memorial Park Association. Hutto’s dad Rip Poitevent has been active in the Rotary Club of Jacksonville. Husband Mark has supported all of the family’s volunteer activities, including his own work with their church and the Young Life program and board.
The volunteerism spirit has already passed directly to the third generation of the family. Son Whit volunteered at Sanctuary on 8th Street this past summer and was part of the American CISV host group that welcomed several Brazilian children to Riverside Presbyterian Day School for a day of role-playing games, sharing their cultures, beliefs and feelings.
Oldest son Holden has volunteered at the Daniel Foundation and at the Sulzbacher Center. He has also helped at his school, Episcopal School of Jacksonville and at their church.
“We encourage our children to volunteer at least once each quarter and appreciate that their schools support volunteerism,” Hutto said. “I would encourage other parents to volunteer with their children and encourage their ideas about how or what they could do. For anyone thinking of volunteering, it helps to start out small and get comfortable with the mission or organization of your choice. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or training and orientation to make things easier in the beginning…any organization you choose will appreciate any little thing you can do to help.”
The Hutto family enjoys boating, travel and typically takes one big trip every year. The boys are all active in various sports, Mark golfs and Frances cheerfully describes her main hobby as “driving”.

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