The turning of the seasons has always given me pause. As Summer gave way to Fall, I reflected on the year, my mind drifting back to Spring, when it seemed...
It’s no secret that COVID-19 has changed everything. From the way we greet each other, to the way we organize our lives around new realities, to the way we gather...
When COVID-19 closed schools in the spring, it also shut down a primary food distribution channel for Brighter Bites, a nonprofit organization that stocks elementary school pantries with nutritious food...
As I am confronted with the social upheaval in the wake of the inhumane killing of George Floyd, the most recent in an abhorrent series of unjust deaths and devastated...
Cone of uncertainty. The term crossed my mind as I watched reports on Tropical Storm Arthur, which flared up before hurricane season even officially began. We’ve grown accustomed to hearing...
Like so many Southwest Floridians, I’ve been remotely working from home, as the Southwest Florida Community Foundation stands with all those striving to balance health and safety while remaining efficient...
Submitted by Sarah Owen, president & CEO, Southwest Florida Community Foundation and Jeannine Joy, president & CEO, United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades and Okeechobee Counties SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-PRESS With the seeming...
These are anxious times. COVID-19 has impacted global and local communities and disrupted our everyday lives in ways large and small. As we work together to adjust to quickly changing...
When we envisioned the design of Collaboratory as a regional resource to champion the social, economic and environmental sustainability of Southwest Florida, we were very intentional that it be much...
In honor of Southwest Florida’s celebrating the genius of renowned winter resident Thomas Edison, join me in a fun brain-teaser. What do the numbers 223,898, 1,093 and 82 have in...
I’ve always been intrigued by television programs and news articles that look back at past decades and propose overarching themes that seem to characterize them. The 1920s were “roaring,” the...
The holiday season in Southwest Florida is truly a season of warmth, not only with our glorious winter weather, but also the emotional warmth that comes from gathering with family,...
Raise your hand with me if you love Fall in Southwest Florida! It’s such a wonderful time of year, not only because family and friends ramp up the number of...
Like a lot of folks, this past summer I watched news accounts of the Apollo 11 moon landing that marked the 50th anniversary of that historic achievement. What struck me...
by Sarah Owen, president & CEO, Southwest Florida Community Foundation I have a 3-hour limit. I don’t turn into a pumpkin, but anything longer than 3 hours in a car and...
These six words have become a theme in my life. This summer I have tried to be more intentional about taking the time to get together with friends and colleagues...
In a lineup of nearly identical sea life drawings, one of the pictures seemed a bit out of place. I always looked forward to picking up my youngest child from...
The low hum of homework grumbling has been a backdrop of my life for a least 20 years. On the journey of raising three kids, there are bound to be...
The thirty-something skateboarders served as a Venice Beach Boardwalk choir of sorts. Their cathedral was the small skate park just a few hundred feet away from the famous Venice Muscle Beach. It’s...
I have always been perplexed by people who become upset with inanimate objects. Someone who stubs their toe and is mad at the table, or unattended burned cookies become the...
The first cup of my vacation coffee was bitter and full of grounds. As my family planned a week of high adventure, going as fast as they could down mountains,...
Talking and writing about generosity and philanthropy in the month associated with love should come easy. By definition philanthropy is the love of humanity, and maybe that is all that...
In middle school I joined the band and learned how to play the flute (sort of). Most students gave the band a go as we grew up in an era...
On one of our many corporate transfers, my family found themselves in Daytona Beach for a few years. Anyone who has lived the life of moving every couple of calendar...
There are certain times it is not wise to search for information on the internet. I am reminded of this every time I google an unknown medical symptom, or the...
My husband and I went to high school together, but we were not high school sweethearts. Although we were just one year apart and had mutual friends, we are fairly...
My front yard still hosts a small ditch that was created by a temporary power line that ran across the length of our property providing us access to the much-coveted...
The Washington Monument is beautiful at night and when I am on journeys to our nation’s capital I make a point to visit the iconic landmark in the moonlight. On...
I work alongside a team member who likes to ask “there are no bad ideas, right?” before she launches into an idea generating session at the office. I find myself...
The sights and sounds of commencements are all around us this time of year. I remember my own graduations and the sense that the whole world had stopped and noted...
Can you imagine standing up on stage in front of a large rowdy crowd and reading excerpts from your childhood diary? It seems unimaginable to me, but last weekend I...
I have been a life long environmentalist. As boy, I sailed with my family all along the East Coast from New York to Maine. As a young adult, I took...
Plastics. This one word is actually ranked number 63 in the American Film Institute’s list of the top 100 movie quotations in American Cinema. It appears in the 1967 movie...
As I stood in the massive ticketing lobby of the Mexico City International Airport I was swept up in a wave of unfamiliarity. I felt disoriented and it took a...
The theme of a recent conference I attended was delivered in the form of a question, “What Drives You?” Throughout the three days I spent with other grant makers and funders...
I always enjoy watching a crowd stream into a room with unassigned seating. There are normally two distinct groups; the front row people who rush in and claim their spots in...
It is a miracle that any of my three children learned to ride a bike. All of them turned out to be great cyclists but can’t assign any of the...
In just a few short weeks Southwest Floridians will be gathering around Thanksgiving tables with friends and family. I am in the gratitude business so you can imagine that Thanksgiving is...
I am both anticipating and dreading the restoration of my power and water post Hurricane Irma. The utility companies and linemen have worked tirelessly but I just happen to be...
“Do you have any travel plans this summer?” This is one of my favorite questions to ask friends and colleagues as I am fascinated by other people’s journeys. It doesn’t matter...
Brace yourselves for the onslaught of back to school promotions. For those of you who grew up when school started after Labor Day the abundance of ads for all things...
I want to bring back the Do-Over. When I was a kid this strategy was effective in many circumstances. An errant ball in a kickball game; no problem just call...
When I walked into our office break room last week I was greeted by the aroma of bar-b-que, a beautiful bowl of tomatoes, fresh bread and a homemade Texas sheet...
Imagine the stories of 1800 students who have a dream for their future and are asking for support from generous strangers to help them get there....
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...
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...
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...
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...
“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...
One of my favorite questions over a cup a coffee with a friend, colleague or new acquaintance is, “What’s on the horizon in your world that you are most excited...
