Thanks for the Memories
Early in my family’s history we moved numerous times. For a few years we moved so often due to job transfers my kids’ friends thought we might be in the...
19
Apr
2017
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12
Apr
2017
Growing Up Together
Florida Weekly and I hit Southwest Florida right about the same time. I was a little bit ahead of them on the calendar but when they showed up on the...
03
Apr
2017
CAUSE & EFFECT: Are We There Yet?
Today, for the first time, my youngest child will pull his car out of the garage and drive himself to school - without me in the car. You would think I...
29
Mar
2017
Memories
My friend had tears in her eyes as she shared her visit with a woman she hadn’t seen in years at an assisted living complex in town. The facility was comfortable...
22
Mar
2017
Stay Curious My Friends
Are you a student of wonder? One of the 5 values that guides our team’s work at the Southwest Florida Community Foundation is encouraging curiosity and exploration to promote learning and...
15
Mar
2017
Who Will Cross the Bridges?
Recently there has been quite a bit of talk about bridge building in our nation and in our communities. Not the literal infrastructure kind of construction but rather symbolic scaffolding...
08
Mar
2017
Pause and Reflect to Imagine New Paths
I think one of the greatest technological advancements in my lifetime is the pause feature on machines of all sorts and electronic devices. Whether it is the ability to throw one...
06
Mar
2017
CAUSE & EFFECT: Pushing the Tube Up the Mountain Together
If people watching were an official sport, I am fairly certain I could be a contender for the Olympic team or championship game. Wherever I go I look for opportunities to...
22
Feb
2017
Community Love Notes
Last week I was driving down College Parkway in Fort Myers and noticed a car stalled out in a turn lane. A moment later people were racing across the road...
15
Feb
2017
Some Who Wander Are Actually Lost
I enjoy the challenge of navigating a new city, particularly as a solo traveler. I feel empowered when I am able to get from point A to point B on...
06
Feb
2017
Cause & Effect: It’s All Gone.
It’s all gone. That was the message delivered by my friend who emailed to let me know that the home shared by multi- generations of her family had been lost...
01
Feb
2017
An Open Shelf
The first home my husband and I bought together was a 1920s bungalow just a couple blocks off Daytona Beach. It had hardwood floors hidden under carpet and many other quaint...
25
Jan
2017
Giving is the UnSelfie
As I pulled up to a busy Southwest Florida intersection last week I noticed a long line of cars backed up in the opposite direction. For a moment I reconsidered...
18
Jan
2017
Ladies and Gentlemen, Start your Treadmills
I went to a new gym last week. I realize lots of people went back to gyms over the past few weeks as part of a blurry eyed pact they...
02
Jan
2017
Cause & Effect: Is it Time to Burn the Ships?
Welcome to 2017. I am hopeful that you sent 2016 out with a bang and are feeling hopeful for the year ahead. This time of year provides us the opportunity...
28
Dec
2016
It’s Review Week
The tables at my favorite coffee shops have been occupied to overflowing the last couple of weeks. At first glance I thought it was probably the influx of winter residents...
25
Dec
2016
Airport Santa Saves the Day
Neon orange shirt, crisp khaki shorts, tennis shoes, snowy white beard affixed with elastic band and a traditional red Santa hat. He looked exactly like what you might imagine for...
21
Dec
2016
A Little More Can Add Up to A Lot More
I learn new things every day. Many of my life lessons come from the team I work with and the donors I interact with at the Southwest Florida Community Foundation. Working...
07
Dec
2016
Holiday Dinners, Dolls, and Dignity
Holiday giving is heartwarming. There are so many opportunities to reach out into the community and do something generous for a neighbor. I don’t think there is any easier time of...
30
Nov
2016
A Potluck of Purpose
My preteen eyes would scan the table spread with bubbling casseroles and gelatin salads in search of the coveted homemade macaroni and cheese. It would arrive safely in its protective...
16
Nov
2016
Never Too Early for Others
Like clockwork, a few weeks before Halloween the holiday decorations began creeping onto store shelves. It seems as soon as employees crack open the boxes of the latest tinsel and ornaments,...
07
Nov
2016
CAUSE & EFFECT: Purpose Driven Politics
“Britt Is It” for President is my all-time favorite political slogan. You won’t be seeing Britt on next week’s ballot but this candidate did make a successful presidential run back...
02
Nov
2016
Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
As we do every year, the Southwest Florida Community Foundation handed over this column to the nonprofits we fund. It is such an honor to walk alongside and support some...
05
Sep
2016
Cause & Effect: What Happens in the Foundation Doesn’t Stay in the Foundation
I just returned home from some summer travel. My youngest child is 15 and I am all too aware that there are only a few summer breaks left that will...
01
Aug
2016
Healing. Stronger.
Sometimes unexpected events cause our world to stop and speak of nothing else. I will never forget when the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the West Indian Island country of Haiti...
04
Jul
2016
CAUSE & EFFECT – The Purpose Driven Young Professional
If you ever find yourself seeking hope for the future let me encourage you to find a way to spend some time with young professionals in Southwest Florida. I realize that...
05
Jun
2016
Summer Playlists for Giving Back to the Community
Two summers ago I had the opportunity to wake up very early in the morning in New York City and make my way to one of the network morning shows...
18
May
2016
Math Problem
Recently I was asked about my experience navigating my way into college. I graduated from high school in 1981 which was a very long time ago but I distinctly remember...
04
May
2016
The Last Word
My training in getting the last word came from raising teenagers over the past two decades. There were many discussions in our house that I thought were over but my...
02
May
2016
What’s Your Word?
Over the past few weeks I have been telling anyone who will listen that it’s great to be 40…again! Those that know me roll their eyes while those who don’t are...
27
Apr
2016
Whatever Happened to Bob?
Something special happens when we get together with friends who share a long and common history. It might be high school teammates, college roommates or colleagues we worked with building...
13
Apr
2016
Big Numbers
When it comes to anniversaries and birthdays some numbers just seem to be bigger than others. Decade and half decade markers get the most attention and provide fantastic opportunities for...
06
Apr
2016
Hidden in Plain Sight
My youngest child is 15 years old now so Easter egg hunts have gone by the wayside. I considered hiding cash in plastic eggs all over the yard this year...
04
Apr
2016
CAUSE & EFFECT – We Have Liftoff!
I grew up in Central Florida, which provided me access to Mickey Mouse, beautiful lakes, fresh oranges on demand and space shuttles. One of my favorite memories is going to Cape...
30
Mar
2016
Summer House-ing
The calendar, balmy weather and daylight savings time signal it’s spring but some of our Southwest Florida neighbors are already looking ahead to summer. Sure, we all know people who are...
16
Mar
2016
I’m Not Busy
I am wondering what your reaction is when you read the headline to this week’s column. Some of you might be thinking, “Are you kidding me, season in Southwest...
09
Mar
2016
How Do You Fund a Hashtag?
Nobody particularly enjoys the person who comes back to the office after a professional conference. In most cases the colleague has had days to consider new ideas and possibilities,...
07
Mar
2016
Cause & Effect-Design with the End in Mind
People close to you know your bad habits. Depending on how much they love and respect you they view them with varying levels of frustration and affection. My colleagues at...
24
Feb
2016
The Future is Bright
by Sarah Owen, a FutureMaker and President & CEO SWFL Community Foundation For months our offices at the Southwest Florida Community Foundation have been buzzing with preparation for a regional student summit...
10
Feb
2016
Remembering Veronica
I tucked into the very back pew before the Wake began. My plan had been to quietly pay my respects at what I thought was a public viewing, I had...
03
Feb
2016
The Heart of a Postman
I had the great pleasure of living in a classic small town in Virginia for a number of years. It looked like it jumped out of a Norman Rockwell painting...
01
Feb
2016
What's Love Got to Do With It?
Most everyone enjoys a beautiful love story. Whether it’s a best selling romance novel or watching an unexpected marriage proposal in a public venue we seem to be inspired by...
27
Jan
2016
The Dream Lives on in 63 Million
Last year 63 million Americans took time out of their daily lives to volunteer for nonprofit organizations. The data crunchers who calculate these kinds of things report that if their...
20
Jan
2016
What Are You Thinking?
Asking someone what they are thinking can be a loaded question. The inquiry can take on many different tones, which elicit a variety of responses from the person fielding the...
13
Jan
2016
What are We Missing?
I am generally a glass half full type of person. I am a delusional optimist about most everything including my work. A new year caters to this type of thinking,...
06
Jan
2016
Anticipation is Making Us Wait
When I saw the young woman run off the soccer field, grab her phone and find a quiet hiding spot I knew exactly what was going on. I didn’t know...
04
Jan
2016
CAUSE & EFFECT – 2016 and Beyond
There is no doubt that a New Year gives us plenty of chances to count things down. It seems to begin right around the week before Christmas when we become...