Mattamy Homes, the parent company of Wellen Park, a top-selling master-planned community located near North Port, is doing their part to help with Hurricane Ian relief efforts. The home-building company recently presented the American Red Cross with a significant donation of $800,000 to assist communities across Florida impacted by the storm.

While there is no one organization that can really capture all the needs that someone would have during a disaster, the Red Cross provides a piece of the puzzle, whether it's groceries for the month, a hotel stay, or basic necessities. According to Kristin Burke, chief development officer for the Central, Florida region of the American Red Cross, “Our teams that work directly with folks that have been in our shelters are coordinating what some of those specific needs might be. It’s not life-changing money but it helps people on their road to recovery. The Mattamy donation went to serve specifically our relief efforts for all of the work that we did during Hurricane Ian.” At the peak of the hurricane relief operations, the Red Cross had over 100 emergency response vehicles (ERVs) delivering food and clean-up kits. “It costs us about $25,000 to fully operate one ERV and that is just one example of how donations like the one from Mattamy can be helpful,” she adds.

“We’re so blessed to have a founder of the Mattamy company, Peter Gilgan, who puts value in time, talent and treasure. And for him, he put a portion of his treasure toward an area that needs it the most. But more importantly, that treasure can be compounded by going to a group like the American Red Cross, who can do far more with it than what any one of us could do singularly if somebody handed that check to us,” says Rick Severance, Wellen Park division president, Mattamy Homes. “Beyond our area, we know that so many others throughout the state have been impacted by the storm. We value the Red Cross and what they do most effectively, which is their ability to strategically place and prioritize funds based on need.”

“The Mattamy donation is supporting families from Collier County up into Fort Myers all the way up and over and around the I-4 corridor over to Daytona, and that is huge. It's a significant portion of Florida that was affected by the hurricanes this season,” says Eric Corliss, chief executive officer, for the Central Florida and U.S. Virgin Islands regions of the American Red Cross. "There are tens of thousands of people that are better off and that were cared for and didn’t go through the aftermath of being alone because of the generosity of Mattamy.”

“We have donors of every kind, some who will give their last $5.00 for the week, all the way up to donations like the one from Mattamy,” shares Burke. “It takes a collective effort and Mattamy has certainly been a leader in that charge.” 

To make a donation to the American Red Cross, click here.

The Gecko’s Hospitality Group family of restaurants has renewed its ongoing commitment as a Business Partner with the Sarasota County 4-H Clubs & Foundation, designating the 4-H Foundation scholarship fund as the direct beneficiary of donations raised during our 30th Anniversary BBQ and Party. Gecko’s co-owners, Michael Quillen & Mike Gowan awarded the check at a presentation ceremony at the Fruitville Gecko’s. “It is with the generosity and commitment of local business leaders like the Gecko’s Hospitality Group that allows the Sarasota County 4-H Foundation to fund the programming which helps children achieve their goals,” said Sarah Davis, University of Florida/IFAS Extension Agent with the local 4-H Foundation. “Since the values of the Gecko’s family of restaurants and the 4-H Clubs are closely aligned, building on our commitment was a natural fit,” said Quillen. “We are proud to support the pivotal experiences provided by the 4-H programs which build a foundation of leadership and skills for success in the future careers of children in our community. We believe that investing in 4-H serves to honor the agricultural legacy of the great State of Florida, which has provided the livestock and produce that feeds our citizens and visitors alike, and which offers our children the programs that help them develop the life skills so essential to helping them become good citizens.” 

Pictured: Annette Hiatt, 4-H , Kevin Thompson, GM Fruitville Geckos, Mike Quillen, co-owner Geckos Hospitality Group, Nicole Bartell, 4-H Jr. Cattlemen; Lee Hayes Byron and Sarah Davis, 4-H, Mike Lynch, Geckos, Anne Rollings, Fiona Farrell,GHG.

Since 2004, Embracing Our Differences has used the power of art and prose to promote diversity. One way it achieves this is through its annual, juried international outdoor art exhibition comprising 50 billboard-sized works of art, each accompanied by an inspirational quotation. This year’s response to the call for artwork and inspirational quotations received 13,733 entries pouring in from 119 countries and 45 states. Students from 424 schools around the world submitted artwork or quotations to the juried exhibit. The Best-in-Show Adult artwork award went to Whittney de Araújo, from Recife, Brazil, for “We Are All Pearls.” Alexis Lee, a 10th grade student from the Icon Art Academy in Irvine, California, won the Best-in-Show Student award for “Stretching Beauty.” Alexis Morrell of Wolcott, Connecticut, won Best-in-Show Adult for her inspirational quotation, “It takes more courage to speak in a silent room than to become another voice in a crowd.”  The award for the Best-in-Show Student inspirational quotation was given to Hartley Livesey, a fifth grade student at The Out-of-Door Academy for “Always remember you are braver than you think and stronger than you believe.” The winning quotations and art will be showcased at the 20th annual exhibits, January 18-March 12, in Sarasota’s Bayfront Park; March 22-April 19 at Butler Park in North Port; and April 26-May 29 at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota.  For more information about these exhibits or Embracing Our Differences, call 941-404-5710 or visit www.embracingourdifferences.org. 

Pictured: Stretching Beauty by Alexis Lee, winner, Best-in-Show Student Award. Photo courtesy of Embracing Our Differences.

For many families in our area, the holidays are a time of great excitement and joy, with presents, delicious meals, and time spent with family and friends. For foster children, however, the holidays can be a time of stress and sadness, a time when the thought of their families may dredge up unhappy memories and when they are living with people they may not know very well. Some foster children may never have even experienced a real holiday celebration, with presents and holiday displays. The Safe Children Coalition's Angels program works to ensure that foster and other vulnerable children in Florida's Circuit 12 (encompassing Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties) feel the warmth of the holiday season through the donation of gifts from caring members of the community. The program matches sponsors to children's gift wish lists. Already in 2022, more than 100 sponsors have generously addressed the wish lists of several hundred children but there are always additional youths coming into the system to cover. Now the agency is seeking community members who can shop for general wish list items to help every child have something under the tree. Families, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and religious institutions can sign up for a wish list at sccfl.org/angels, and then bring the gifts to Safe Children Coalition or people can make monetary donations that help support critical, life-saving programs for children who are homeless, abused, and neglected throughout the entire year. Safe Children Coalition served nearly 9,300 children in Foster Care and Adoptions and Prevention and Diversion programs this year. When children are removed from a home, the primary reasons are drug abuse by a parent or caretaker, domestic violence in the home, physical abuse, neglect, inadequate housing, and abandonment. Over 2,000 children were served in licensed foster care and out-of-home care placement in our community this year. More than 7,000 children were served in Prevention and Diversion programs, with the purpose of diverting children and families from the foster care system. Gifts are being gratefully accepted through December 16. For more information or to request a holiday wish list, visit sccfl.org/angels, email angels@sccfl.org, or call the program direct line at 941-356-9445. 

Pictured: Safe Children Coalition team members (from l-r) Maryna Niftulaeva, April Davis and Nicole Frey were on hand to receive a donation of bicycles from a local business. Photo courtesy of Safe Children Coalition.

The Sarasota Opera Guild invites you to the 38th Annual Poinsettia Luncheon to be held Wednesday, December 7, 2022 at Michael’s on East, 1212 S. East Avenue, Sarasota, starting at 11:30am. The doors will open at 11:00am. This year’s theme--Passport to Opera--reflects the international scope of this season’s Sarasota Operas, which are placed in Japan, Spain, Italy, and France. The highlight of the luncheon is a performance by Heather Johnson, mezzo soprano. Among her many credits, Ms. Johnson has performed at the Metropolitan Opera, the Boston Lyric Opera, and New York City Opera. At Sarasota Opera, she has appeared as Maddalena in Rigoletto, the title character in La Cenerentola, Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible, Hansel in Hansel und Gretel and Beppe in L’Amico Fritz. She will be accompanied by Jesse Martins on the piano. The afternoon includes an opportunity to bid on an array of silent auction items and bountiful gift baskets. Proceeds from the annual fundraiser assist Sarasota Opera, Sarasota Youth Opera, and aspiring opera singers. Timetable: Welcome – noon: Meryl Gale, Sarasota Opera Guild President, Richard Russell, General Director Sarasota Opera. Performance – Heather Johnson, Lunch – 12:15. 

This week, Jon Thaxton, Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s Senior Vice President for Community Leadership, and Dr. Jennifer Shafer, Co-Executive Director of the Science and Environment Council of Southwest Florida, presented a poster abstract on The Community Playbook for Healthy Waterways at Restore America’s Estuaries 2022 Coastal & Estuarine Summit in New Orleans. The Playbook is a comprehensive collection of actionable recommendations to achieve and sustain community-wide nutrient management for water quality in our ponds, creeks, bays, and estuaries. This nutrient management strategy was developed for a Florida Gulf Coast community through a facilitated brainstorm of experts and practitioners, followed by research and stakeholder interviews to determine feasibility. The Playbook can be adapted and customized by communities across Florida for use by municipal, county and state governments and agencies, non-profit environmental organizations, philanthropic foundations, businesses, homeowner associations and other leaders. Since the Playbook launched, the community has made progress in coordinating and implementing specific recommended activities. To learn more about Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s Water Quality Playbook, visit www.waterqualityplaybook.org. 

Pictured: Jon Thaxton discusses the Community Playbook for Healthy Waterways. Photo courtesy of Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

Sarasota Memorial Nursing & Rehabilitation Center was named among the nation’s top nursing homes for short- and long-term rehabilitation in U.S. News’ annual “Best Nursing Homes” ratings. Now in its 13th year, the 2022-2023 Best Nursing Homes ratings recognize the top nursing homes in every U.S. state and large metropolitan area to help prospective residents and their families make informed decisions about where to receive short-term or long-term nursing home care. Only 16% of more than 15,000 skilled-nursing facilities evaluated earned the “Best Nursing Home” rating this year. Sarasota Memorial has been providing short- and long-term rehabilitation and skilled nursing care at the Sarasota Memorial Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Center at its Clark Road campus for more than 25 years. The skilled nursing home and rehab facility at 5640 Rand Blvd, Sarasota, offers a variety of short-term and long-term care and rehabilitation services for patients recovering from surgery, injury or illness. The center is equipped to offer a wide range of medical specialties, with a multi-disciplinary team that cares for approximately 120 residents around the clock, 365 days a year. The Best Nursing Homes methodology factors data such as resident care, safety, and outcomes. To calculate the Best Nursing Homes ratings, U.S. News evaluated each nursing home’s performance using a variety of data obtained from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Both short- and long-term ratings include data on consistency of registered nurse staffing, use of antipsychotic drugs, and success in preventing ER and hospital visits. The long-term care rating also includes measures of whether a home changed ownership and how well they were staffed on weekends. The short-term rehabilitation rating also includes measures of a home’s success in preventing falls, preventing serious infections, and making sure residents are able to return homes. 

Meet the region's 35 Under 35 Awards Honorees for the 2022 program produced by SRQ Magazine to recognize young professionals who are taking a leadership position at their company and in the community. Learn more about Melissa Beachy, Medical Director and Master Injector from Glow Derm Spa by Arsenault Dermatology!

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Since the start of her career, Melissa has worked exclusively in aesthetic and medical dermatology. Over the last 12 years, she has established a stellar reputation for delivering beautiful results with a gentle hand and having unrivaled attention to detail. Melissa has trained under some of the most respected aesthetic injectors in the field, and she continues to strive for excellence by staying up to date on the latest, most innovative techniques, procedures and products. Her entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen was given an opportunity to shine through when she became the Director at Glow. In her role as Director, she realized her unique skillset to understand technical medical dermatology, have a gifted hand and eye for cosmetic dermatology and understand how to grow and run a successful business. Melissa truly believes there is an art and science to beauty. She is thankful for the opportunity to lead an amazing team who seeks to help patients see, enhance and become more confident in their natural beauty. 

To read the full article, click here.

SHARING HER JOURNEY | Ashley Judd shared her own journey to mental health at Resilient Retreat's grand opening luncheon.

Learn about Judd's personal healing journey and Resilient Retreat, the non-profit organization built on 84 acres of conservation land, dedicated to helping those impacted by trauma and abuse. Read more through this link, on our social media, or in the December Edition!  

Read Here!