Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation announced today that Barbara and Gary Rodkin have made a $2 million gift in support of the Cornell Family Behavioral Health Pavilion at Sarasota Memorial. The Rodkins’ $2 million donation will be used specifically to support geriatric services at the Cornell Family Behavioral Health Pavilion, which is currently under construction on Sarasota Memorial’s Sarasota Campus. The new $71 million pavilion is slated to open in 2023 replacing Sarasota Memorial’s Bayside Center for Behavioral Health with a modern facility that enhances, expands and centralizes care for people affected by mental and behavioral health challenges. The Rodkin’s interest in the geriatric services at the pavilion arose from personal experience. “In his 90s, my father had mental and physical issues, and it was extremely difficult to connect the dots and get the right people to get us the help that was needed,” says Gary. “There was no coordinated care and it really pointed out how much improvement the whole geriatric system needed.”

Barbara, who currently sits on the Healthcare Foundation board, gained interest in supporting the project after learning that the new facility would have a specific geriatric inpatient unit with 16 private rooms and services designed specifically for geriatric patients. “We do a lot of research before we offer our support to any project and this one meets the gold standard,” she says. In addition to their support of the Cornell Family Behavioral Health Pavilion, the Rodkins are long-term supporters of the Community Specialty Clinic at Sarasota Memorial. The Clinic provides specialty medical care and referral services to local residents who are uninsured or underinsured. Community support will continue to make a difference at the Cornell Family Behavioral Health Pavilion. To learn more, visit smhf.org. 

Pictured: Barbara and Gary Rodkin.

The Van Wezel Foundation received a generous $1-million gift from local philanthropist and longtime Van Wezel Foundation supporter Phil Steyaert. Steyaert’s $1-million gift was inspired in response to the board’s $20-million commitment, which was announced in January at the Foundation’s annual Inspiration Gala. After relocating to Sarasota in 2005, Steyaert was immediately drawn to the performing arts at the Hall. As a former musician, he has been committed to sharing the arts by donating to the Foundation annually to advance its mission of creating and sustaining a vibrant performing arts center, advancing education, and enriching communities by inspiring minds through the power of the arts. Steyaert has witnessed the growth within the community first-hand, citing the need for a new performing arts center to accommodate the evolution and progress of the area. For more information about the Sarasota Performing Arts Center, visit vwfoundation.org/SPAC. 

CreArte Latino Cultural Center has been selected to receive a $6,900 Community Impact Grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The grant will support funding facilitators for CreArte Latino’s many classes and workshops for adults, children and families. The bilingual arts and education nonprofit serves as a creative hub for the growing Latino/Hispanic communities in Sarasota and Manatee counties. CreArte Latino’s mission is to be a connector between Latinos/Hispanics and the community at large through arts and education opportunities and events. “This empowering grant gives us the opportunity to expand our educational programming and reach more than 200 students,” says Carolina Franco, the artistic director and president of CreArte Latino. She explains that her organization seeks to address a cultural issue that especially affects young people in the surrounding Latino/Hispanic community. “There can be a lack of knowledge about their roots. Children may not speak Spanish and they may have no idea about their culture. We want to bolster their pride and give them a direct experience of their rich heritage. We are deeply grateful to the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to support us in this important mission.”

CreArte Latino Cultural Center’s schedule for 2022-2023 includes the ongoing “Amigos Book Club” for adults and a new “Amigos Book Club” for children, both for Spanish speakers. In addition, there is an adult class in Spanish for English speakers called “Conversemos” and an adult class in English for Spanish speakers called “Let’s Talk in English.” Book clubs and language classes are all via the Zoom platform. For in- person learning, the Center plans two Children’s Acting Workshops and a workshop in Music Making and Dance for Youth. CreArte Latino encourages family participation in the children’s classes. 

Pictured: CreArte Latino Learning. Photo courtesy of CreArte Latino Cultural Center.

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The Bay Park Conservancy (BPC) proudly announces a community partnership with Ride & Paddle to provide park guests with weekly kayak and paddle board rental opportunities at The Bay Park. The exciting new program brings Ride & Paddle’s ACA-accredited kayak instructors and naturalists to The Bay, providing the community with a new way to explore the flora and fauna of Sarasota’s coastal ecosystems. Every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ride & Paddle will be located on-site, equipped with a number of kayak and paddleboard rentals. In addition, Ride & Paddle offers free guided tours through The Bay Park every Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Rentals and tours launch from The Bay Park’s newly added ADA-accessible kayak and paddle launch, located at the south-east edge of the bayou. The 2-hour, intermediate-level tour circles through The Bay’s restored mangroves and to the north and south of the park, allowing paddlers to explore Sarasota Bay and learn more about The Bay Park from Ride & Paddle’s experienced guides. Tours and rentals are recommended for children 12 years and older, and any minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Due to a high volume of interest for this new program, pre-registration is encouraged for rentals and tours. All programs at The Bay are made possible thanks to contributions made by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and The Bay Parks Conservancy's Founding Business Partners program (FBP). 

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School District of Manatee County Board Members, Superintendent Cynthia Saunders, District Administrators and staff will gather before sunrise on Thursday, May 26, 2022 to celebrate a successful school year. The group will wave and cheer for drivers at approximately 6 a.m., as dozens of big yellow buses roll out of the Matzke Support Center to pick up students on the last day for the 2021-2022 school year. Matzke Support Center is located at 1 Matzke Way in Bradenton. “Everyone knows these are challenging times for many professions and jobs, and that is certainly true when it comes to school districts meeting the needs of transporting students to-and-from school,” Superintendent Cynthia Saunders said. “We are thankful and extremely grateful for every bus driver, route administrator, mechanic and member of the School District of Manatee County transportation team for their exceptional service during this school year. We look forward to seeing them off on Thursday morning.” 

G. Todd Yeomans and Yeomans Work Architecture are pleased to announce their new hire Emi Kopke as an Architecture Associate. Emi will be contributing to a broad range of custom residential, commercial, cabinetry and furniture design projects. She is a recent graduate of the University of Miami where she was on the Provost’s Honor Roll & Dean’s List and was awarded numerous prestigious scholarships for design and excellence. Emi is an enthusiastic young design professional who recently presented a TED Talk at the University of Miami about re-establishing autonomy as adults and the lessons from childhood we can all benefit from revisiting and implementing in our current lives -(https://livestream.com/accounts/2263400/events/10330474/videos/230576407 minute 2:05:00). We look forward to the creativity and joy she will undoubtedly contribute to our work and our community. 

Hershorin Schiff Community Day School (CDS) recently welcomed Rinat Heiman as its new Hebrew and Judaic studies instructor. Heiman had previously served in this position at Temple Sinai from 1994 to 2013 and, more recently, as a private bar and bat mitzvah teacher. Beginning as early as 14 months old, all students at CDS are offered classes in both Hebrew and cultural Jewish studies. Heiman is passionate about these studies. She knows that their lessons make a profound difference in students’ lives. As she sees it, these studies are far more than academic knowledge for isolated individuals. They’re teachings in wisdom, which connect each individual to a greater community. Community Day School opened its new campus, with record enrollment, on August 16, 2021. To learn more about Community Day School, visit communityday.org or call (941) 552-2770. 

Manatee County has seven openings for a citizens advisory committee that makes recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners on Affordable Housing Incentives.
Board members review the established policies and procedures, ordinances, land development regulations and adopted local government comprehensive plan of the appointing local government and recommend specific actions or initiatives to encourage or facilitate affordable housing while protecting the ability of the property to appreciate in value.

The group meets on select Mondays, six times per year at 3:00 p.m. or as needed in the Honorable Patricia M. Glass Chambers on the first floor of the County Administration Building at 1112 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton. Meetings will resume August 22, 2022. Applications are due June 10, 2022, and may be completed online. For more information, call advisory board liaison Deborah Ash at (941) 749-3029, ext. 3478 or email her at deborah.ash@mymanatee.org. For more information on Manatee County Government, visit www.mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/manatee.county.fl and on Twitter @ManateeGov.