by Kelsey Pena, 2016 Florida Fellow, Southwest Florida Community Foundation On Tuesday afternoons, while the Florida sun is beating down and the cicadas are chirping in their never-ending symphony, Diane Nghi...
by Taylor Tringali, 2016 Florida Fellow, Southwest Florida Community Foundation In the eight short weeks of my fellowship with the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, I have been immersed into the world...
by Lisa Milne, Vice President of Programs Alzheimer’s Association-Florida Gulf Coast Chapter Right now, in the United States of America, there are over 5 million people living with Alzheimer’s disease. According to...
by Jason Kurek, Champions for Learning “If you know you have the potential to do something, then you need to do it,” says Darchelle Excellent, Champions For Learning Real World Learning...
by Mary C. Schoeffel, Development Director, The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) It is wild baby season! Are you one of the millions who watch YouTube videos of animals,...
by Gina Frazier, iWill Mentorship The youth’s eyes glistened with tears as he passed me in the hallway. Fearing the worst, I hesitantly asked “how’d it go?” He smiled ear to...
by Tina Figliuolo Director, Community Relations and Development Charlotte County Homeless Coalition Four years ago a group of human service agencies, including many food pantries, gathered to discuss hunger in Charlotte County. For...
by Dr. Debra Mathinos, The Heights Foundation Fifty-six year old Roderick Lee has a past he isn’t proud of, but he’s not shy about saying so. Since 2010 he has been unemployed. ...
by Anjali Van Drie, MA, MSW, BCBA, Vice President Family Initiative, Inc. Every Saturday, a few minutes after 1pm, Dylan comes running in to the gym smiling and giving hugs. After making...
by Maestro Andrew Kurtz, Gulf Coast Symphony Twenty-eight smiling faces beamed up at me with a mix of excitement and awe as I began our rehearsal for our side-by-side concert with...
by Janelle Beaber, Director of Project Advancement, New Mission Systems International Two years ago, New Mission Systems International was opening The Fig Leaf Boutique, an upscale, second hand clothing and furniture...
This summer, the Southwest Florida Community Foundation is spotlighting the nonprofit organizations funded through the 2016 competitive grant cycle. We have asked our 2016 grantees to send us their stories. ...
by Fred Richards Vice President of Community Support Services Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida It is going to be a hot and hungry summer for many of our neighbors. Combining hunger with a...
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...
It was in the middle of a meeting when my colleague whispered to me that “Prince died.” What? I gasped! Prince was an icon who rose to stardom while I was...
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...
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...
I am the mother of two amazing little ones, a 7 year-old, compassionate, old-soul and a meticulous, thoughtful 5 year-old. They have an incredible power to rapidly change me. They...
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...
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...
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...
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...
by John Sheppard, Senior Advisor and Former Trustee, Southwest Florida Community Foundation Paying it back and paying it forward are not the same thing. Paying it back is paying back to a...
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,...
Many Historians contend that one of the most uniquely talented and wisest men in human history was King Solomon. Among many thoughtful things he wrote “To Everything there is a...
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...
When people I meet out and about in Southwest Florida learn I grew up here, they always express surprise because the region is made up of so many people that...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
