Sugar Ray Robinson, considered by many the greatest boxing champion of all time, once said: “Rhythm is everything in boxing. Every move you make starts with your heart, and that’s...
As the convergence of perilous disease in the air and transformational social unrest on the streets has created anxiety that sets our hearts, minds and souls on edge, an invaluable emotional outlet that is uniquely human exists...
When the service missions end for local military veterans and their families, the mission of the nonprofit Home Base Southwest Florida begins. With the latest figures from the U.S. Department of...
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...
I spend a good portion of my time these days virtually connecting with people who desperately want to do something to help those suffering as a result of the pandemic. ...
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...
Our world has changed, collectively and individually. Last week I was walking around Collaboratory and missing the energy of people meeting and connecting in the building. If I am honest,...
This column is difficult for me to write as it hits close to home. My birth year of 1963 places me on the cusp of the baby boomer generation, and...
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...
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation recently welcomed Katie Leone as Impact and Sustainability Manager. In her new position, Leone will work on the Social Innovation & Sustainability (SIS) Team where she...
The Tommy Bohanon Foundation, operated by local NFL player Tommy Bohanon and his wife Katie, have started the Tommy Bohanon Scholarship Fund at the Southwest Florida Community Foundation. After playing for...
During this month of “love,” I am pleased to share a love poem to the community written by residents who joined the trustees and team of the Southwest Florida Community...
For the past year I have been wearing a simple gold ring in the shape of a circle. It isn’t an infinity sign, but the continuous circle serves as a...
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...
The woman sat awkwardly on the folding chair outside the dark office of a small business, continually checking the posted hours of operation and the calendar housed on her phone. Without...
It has been four years since I sent a family holiday card. Around October my expectations and intentions reach a pinnacle and I believe that a festive greeting and a...
When I was a kid there was a corny saying that worked its way into conversations whenever someone said something that rhymed. I am guessing most of you have uttered it at...
120 people from 32 nonprofits from throughout Southwest Florida gathered on Saturday, Nov. 3 for Dan Pallotta's Bolder Board Training at Collaboratory located in midtown Fort Myers. The event was...
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...
I noticed the Guide to Flipping Houses on the internet not too long ago, “5 Easy Steps to House Flipping.” I’m a closet fan of Flip or Flop, Flipping Out...
by Marianne Weiss, Vice President of Programs, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast offers a unique opportunity for local companies to...
by Alex Olivares, M.S., Executive Director, The Center for Progress and Excellence Inc. The Center for Progress and Excellence Inc. (CPE) applied for a community impact grant in 2017. The proposed...
by Jack Ham, Principal, The Academy, Port Charlotte, Fla. Another school year has come to a close, and The Academy has even more reason to celebrate than usual. Given the school's...
Preventing Dog Bites in Elementary Aged Children in Lee County By Nicole Ferguson-Morrison, DVM, MS, MPH, MRCVS Veterinarian, Lee County Domestic Animal Services Dog bites are a frightening experience for anyone, especially children....
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 decided to work from home today, so I am not wearing my business attire and am writing this from my comfortable couch with a very different view out the...
by the Team of the Southwest Florida Community Foundation What on earth do you plan to do in honor of Earth Day this week? While the official Earth Day is April...
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...
No doubt many of you are recovering from the recent Easter egg hunting season. Spring is in the air and for weeks leading up to the Easter Bunny’s annual pilgrimage...
When I was a kid, I fell in love with the band REM. It was the album Out of Time that changed the way I thought about music and made...
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...
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation has launched an Earth Day campaign to raise awareness and funds for the environment in Southwest Florida. The “Earth Day the SWFL Way” campaign is meant...
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...
Wandering into the Chapultepec Forest seemed a bit mysterious. As I stood at the gates leading into one of the largest parks in the Western Hemisphere, I didn’t have a plan. I...
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...
There was something very special about Mary. She lived to be 96 and during her lifetime she was educated, married a wonderful man, was well-traveled, had children and grandchildren she...
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...
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...
by Anne M. Chernin, MBA, MSW, Director of Client Services JFCS of Southwest Florida Last month I had the opportunity to travel to the University of Florida in Gainesville to participate in...
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation recently added Frederick Moon to its board of trustees....
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...
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...
How are you going to change the world? It was an innocent enough question that I asked each of the young professionals who visited our office last week. These six young...
My sister-in-law has a decorative plaque hanging in her house that begs the question, “What if tomorrow you had only the things you gave thanks for today?” Inspirational quotes show up...
“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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
