It’s been said that seeing is believing. But it also takes believing in a shared mission among caring Southwest Floridians to make seeing a reality for thousands of adults and...
One of the earliest health concerns for children is visible with every smile. Teeth. From their earliest days as infants and toddlers, when dental-health treatment and family knowledge surrounding oral...
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...
There is a great deal of talk these days around adaptability. Personal, professional, business, government and healthcare adaptability are top of mind as we navigate the pandemic in all aspects...
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...
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...
by Jill Palmer, Executive Director, Florida Southern Gulf Chapter, American Red Cross Thanks in part to a recent grant from the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, and in partnership with Lee County...
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...
For nearly 30 years a woman I never met has been whispering in my ear every time I sit down to write. Sometimes she shows up in everyday conversations as...
As 2018 winds down and the holidays are now almost behind us, the Amazon Prime boxes with the signature blue and black tape are making their way to the curb,...
If the weather in Southwest Florida dips below 60 degrees I pull out my winter wear. Coats, sweaters, scarves, tights and boots all emerge from my closet and I am...
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...
I just returned from a series of meetings and a conference in New York City. I was traveling solo most of the week which provided me plenty of alone time...
I knew it wouldn’t be long before someone asked me about ghosts. When the Southwest Florida Community Foundation recently moved into our new home, Collaboratory, we were following in the...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 plates of cookies and pitchers of fruit-infused water went untouched for weeks. This surprised me as I thought the smell of warm chocolate chip wonders and refreshing thirst quenchers...
I am a Girl Scout and a Boy Scout. I joined the Girl Scouts as a young girl, starting out as a Brownie scout and staying involved all the way through...
Our community does an amazing job providing food for hungry people during the holidays. My email inbox and social media feeds explode this time of the year with stories of...
More than $5 million granted to community The Southwest Florida Community Foundation released its 2016-2017 Annual Report online at www.floridacommunity.com/annual-report. Since its inception 41 years ago, the Community Foundation has distributed more...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
What's Your Word? Every week we will feature one of our Faces of Philanthropy in honor of the Foundation's 40th anniversary. Everyone has something to share in our community. Please engage...
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...
The next generation of philanthropists, those who fit into “Gen X” (born 1964-1980) or “Gen Y/Millennial” (born 1981-2000), will wield more philanthropic power than any previous generation, according to Nextgendonors.org....
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,...
More than $500,000 available through 50 scholarships for students seeking post-secondary education The Southwest Florida Community Foundation’s scholarship application process for the 2016-2017 school year will begin on Friday, Jan. 15....
